13
Sønderriv Hjerterne, ej eders Klæder, vend om til HE
EN eders Gud! Thi nådig og barmhjertig er han, langmodig og rig på Miskundhed, han angrer det onde.
Joel 2:13
The Project Gutenberg Association at Carnegie Mellon University
Apocalypse Explained #660
660. And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them and shall be glad.- That this signifies the delights of infernal love with those who are opposed to the goods and truths of the church, is evident from the signification of they that dwell upon the earth, as denoting those who are in the church; in the present case, those therein who are in evils and in falsities therefrom, consequently those who are opposed to its goods and truths; and from the signification of rejoicing and being glad, as denoting here the delight of infernal love; for all joy and all gladness is from love. For every one rejoices and is glad when his love is favoured, and when he is in pursuit of and attains the object of his love; in a word, all man's joy proceeds from his love, and all sadness and grief of mind from antagonism to his love.
[2] It is said "to rejoice and to be glad" because of the marriage of good and truth. For joy is said of good because it relates to love, as it properly pertains to the heart and will, and gladness is said of truth, because it relates to love of truth, as it properly pertains to the mind and its thought; therefore we say "joy of heart" and "gladness of mind." For everywhere in the Word two expressions occur, one of which has reference to good and the other to truth, and this is the case because the conjunction of good and truth makes both heaven and the church, therefore both heaven and the church are compared to a marriage, from the fact that the Lord is called the bridegroom and husband, and heaven and the church, the bride and wife. He therefore who is not in that marriage is neither an angel of heaven, nor a man of the church. The reason of this also is, that good is not possible with any one unless formed by truths, nor is truth possible unless it lives from good. For all truth is the form of good, and all good is the esse of truth, and because one is not possible without the other, it follows that the marriage of good and truth must necessarily exist both with the men of the church and the angels of heaven; also all intelligence and wisdom are from that marriage, for from it truths and goods are being continually born, by which the understanding and will are formed.
[3] These things have been stated to make it clear why it is said "to rejoice and be glad;" for to rejoice is stated of good and its love or affection, and to be glad is stated of truth, and its love or affection. Similarly also in many other parts of the Word, in the following passages:
"The heavens shall be glad and the earth shall rejoice" (Psalm 96:11).
"Let all that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee" (Psalm 40:16; 70:4).
"The just shall be glad, and exult before God, and shall rejoice in gladness" (Psalm 68:3).
"That we may rejoice all our days, make us glad according to the days thou hast afflicted us" (Psalm 90:14, 15).
"Be glad in Jerusalem, and exult in her, all ye that love her, rejoice for joy with her, all ye that mourn over her" (Isaiah 66:10).
"Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom" (Lamentations 4:21).
"Behold joy and gladness; killing the ox" (Isaiah 22:13).
"They shall obtain joy and gladness, sadness and sighing shall flee away" (Isaiah 35:10; 51:11).
"Joy and gladness shall be found in Zion, confession and the voice of singing" (Isaiah 51:3).
"Thou wilt make me to hear joy and gladness" (Psalm 51:8).
"Gladness and joy are cut off from the house of our God" (Joel 1:16).
"The fast of the tenth month shall be to the house of Judah for joy and for gladness" (Zech. 8:19).
"The voice of joy and the voice of gladness, and the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride" (Jeremiah 7:34; 25:10; 33:11).
[4] In the place of joy, exultation is also mentioned, because exultation like joy, is said of good, because it relates to love, to the heart and to the will; as in the following passages:
"Jacob shall exult, Israel shall be glad" (Psalm 14:7; 53:6).
"I exult and am glad in thy kindness" (Psalm 31:7).
"Be glad in Jehovah, and exult, O ye just" (Psalm 32:11).
"The mount of Zion shall be glad, and the daughters of Judah shall exult" (Psalm 48:11).
"Let all that trust in thee be glad, and let them that love thy name exult in thee" (Psalm 5:11).
"This is the day which Jehovah hath made, we will exult and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24).
"We will exult and be glad in his salvation" (Isaiah 25:9).
"Be glad and exult for ever in the things which I create" (Isaiah 65:18).
"Exult and be glad that Jehovah hath magnified his doing" (Joel 2:21).
"Sons of Zion exult and be glad in Jehovah your God" (Joel 2:23; Habakkuk 3:18).
"Be glad and exult with all the heart, O daughter of Jerusalem" (Zephan. 3:14).
"Gladness and exultation are taken away from Carmel" (Isaiah 16:10; Jeremiah 48:33).
The angel said unto Zacharias, "Thou shalt have gladness and exultation, and many shall rejoice at his birth" (Luke 1:14).
In all these passages, exultation signifies delight from the love and affection for good, and gladness signifies pleasure from the love and affection for truth.
Revelation 1
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This is the Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show to his servants the things which must happen soon, which he sent and made known by his angel to his servant, John,
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who testified to God's word, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, about everything that he saw.
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Blessed is he who reads and those who hear the words of the prophecy, and keep the things that are written in it, for the time is at hand.
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John, to the seven assemblies that are in Asia: Grace to you and peace, from God, who is and who was and who is to come; and from the seven Spirits who are before his throne;
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and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn of the dead, and the ruler of the kings of the earth. To him who loves us, and washed us from our sins by his blood;
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and he made us to be a Kingdom, priests to his God and Father; to him be the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
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Behold, he is coming with the clouds, and every eye will see him, including those who pierced him. All the tribes of the earth will mourn over him. Even so, Amen.
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"I am the Alpha and the Omega," says the Lord God, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."
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I John, your brother and partner with you in oppression, Kingdom, and perseverance in Christ Jesus, was on the isle that is called Patmos because of God's Word and the testimony of Jesus Christ.
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I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, like a trumpet
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saying, "What you see, write in a book and send to the seven assemblies: to Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, and to Laodicea."
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I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. Having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands.
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And among the lampstands was one like a son of man, clothed with a robe reaching down to his feet, and with a golden sash around his chest.
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His head and his hair were white as white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire.
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His feet were like burnished brass, as if it had been refined in a furnace. His voice was like the voice of many waters.
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He had seven stars in his right hand. Out of his mouth proceeded a sharp two-edged sword. His face was like the sun shining at its brightest.
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When I saw him, I fell at his feet like a dead man. He laid his right hand on me, saying, "Don't be afraid. I am the first and the last,
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and the Living one. I was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. I have the keys of Death and of Hades.
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Write therefore the things which you have seen, and the things which are, and the things which will happen hereafter;
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the mystery of the seven stars which you saw in my right hand, and the seven golden lampstands. The seven stars are the angels of the seven assemblies. The seven lampstands are seven assemblies.
