The Bible

 

Genesis 1

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1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2 And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters.

3 And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

4 And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

5 And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first Day.

6 And God said, Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.

7 And God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament: and it was so.

8 And God called the firmament Heaven. And the evening and the morning were the second day.

9 And God said, Let the waters under the heaven be gathered together unto one place, and let the dry land appear: and it was so.

10 And God called the dry land Earth; and the gathering together of the waters called he Seas: and God saw that it was good.

11 And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so.

12 And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

13 And the evening and the morning were the third day.

14 And God said, Let there be lights in the firmament of the heaven to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs, and for seasons, and for days, and years:

15 And let them be for lights in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth: and it was so.

16 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also.

17 And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth,

18 And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

19 And the evening and the morning were the fourth day.

20 And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.

21 And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.

23 And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

24 And God said, Let the earth bring forth the living creature after his kind, cattle, and creeping thing, and beast of the earth after his kind: and it was so.

25 And God made the beast of the earth after his kind, and cattle after their kind, and every thing that creepeth upon the earth after his kind: and God saw that it was good.

26 And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth.

27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.

28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

29 And God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in the which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed; to you it shall be for meat.

30 And to every beast of the earth, and to every fowl of the air, and to every thing that creepeth upon the earth, wherein there is life, I have given every green herb for meat: and it was so.

31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Apocalypse Revealed #225

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225. CHAPTER 4

1. After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. And the first voice that I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here, and I will show you things which must take place after this."

2. Immediately I was in the spirit; and behold, a throne set in heaven, and One sitting on the throne.

3. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance; and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.

4. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting, clothed in white robes; and they had crowns of gold on their heads.

5. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.

6. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal. And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creatures full of eyes in front and in back.

7. The first living creature was like a lion, the second living creature like a calf, the third living creature had a face like a human being, and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.

8. The four living creatures, each individually having six wings about it, were full of eyes within. And they did not rest day or night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!"

9. And when the living creatures gave glory and honor and thanks to Him who sat on the throne, who lives forever and ever,

10. the twenty-four elders fell down before Him who sat on the throne and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever, and cast their crowns before the throne, saying,

11. "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."

THE SPIRITUAL MEANING

The Contents of the Whole Chapter

This chapter describes the organization and preparation of everything in heaven for the judgment that would be based on the Word and take place in accordance with it. Also, an acknowledgment that the Lord is the sole judge.

The Contents of the Individual Verses:

Verse ContentsSpiritual Meaning
1. After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven.A manifestation of the organization of the heavens for a last judgment by the Lord, to take place in accordance with His Divine truths in the Word.
And the first voice that I heard was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying, "Come up here,A Divine influx, resulting in an elevation of the mind and consequent clear perception.
"and I will show you things which must take place after this."Revelations regarding events to come before the Last Judgment, during it, and after it.
2. Immediately I was in the spirit;John's conveyance into a spiritual state, in which the things that occur in heaven clearly appear.
and behold, a throne set in heaven,The Judgment in a representative image.
and One sitting on the throne.The Lord.
3. And He who sat there was like a jasper and a sardius stone in appearance;An appearance of the Lord's Divine wisdom and love in outmost expressions.
and there was a rainbow around the throne, in appearance like an emerald.An appearance of them also around the Lord.
4. Around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and on the thrones I saw twenty-four elders sitting,The organization of everything in heaven for judgment,
clothed in white robes;a judgment based on the Divine truths of the Word,
and they had crowns of gold on their heads.which are truths of wisdom springing from love.
5. And from the throne proceeded lightnings, thunderings, and voices.Enlightenment, perception, and instruction from the Lord.
And there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven spirits of God.A resulting new church in heaven and on earth, established by the Lord through the Divine truth emanating from Him.
6. Before the throne there was a sea of glass, like crystal.A new heaven formed of Christians.
And in the midst of the throne, and around the throne, were four living creaturesThe Word of the Lord from the firsts of it in its lasts, and its protections.
full of eyes in front and in back.The Divine wisdom in it.
7. The first living creature was like a lion,The Divine truth of the Word in respect to its power.
the second living creature like a calf,The Divine truth of the Word in respect to its affection.
the third living creature had a face like a human being,The Divine truth of the Word in respect to its wisdom.
and the fourth living creature was like a flying eagle.The Divine truth of the Word in respect to its concepts and the understanding they afford.
8. The four living creatures, each individually having six wings about it,The Word in respect to its powers and protections.
were full of eyes within.The Divine wisdom in the Word in its natural sense, springing from its spiritual and celestial meanings.
And they did not rest day or night, saying, "Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty,The Word teaches the Lord continually, that He alone is God, and that therefore He alone is to be worshiped.
"who was and is and is to come!"The Lord.
9. And when the living creatures gave glory and honor and thanks to Him who sat on the throne,The Word ascribes all truth and good and all worship to the Lord, who is about to judge.
who lives forever and ever,The Lord alone is life, and from Him alone springs eternal life.
10. the twenty-four elders fell down before Him who sat on the throne and worshiped Him who lives forever and ever,The humility of all in heaven before the Lord.
and cast their crowns before the throne,Their acknowledgment that their wisdom comes from Him alone.
saying, 11. "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power;Their confession that, being Divine truth and good, the Lord possesses the kingdom by His merit and righteousness;
"for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."that everything in heaven and the church has been created and formed out of the Lord's Divine love by His Divine wisdom, or out of Divine good by Divine truth, which is also the Word, and that so likewise are people reformed and reborn.

THE EXPOSITION

After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven. This symbolizes a manifestation of the organization of the heavens for a last judgment by the Lord, to take place in accordance with His Divine truths in the Word. (4:1)

When said of heaven, an open door symbolizes an entryway, as in no. 176 above. Here it symbolizes also a manifestation, because John says, "I looked, and behold...." And because he saw then the things related in this chapter, which have to do with the organization of the heavens for a last judgment by the Lord, to take place in accordance with His Divine truths in the Word, therefore the statement, "I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven," symbolizes a manifestation of those things.

  
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Many thanks to the General Church of the New Jerusalem, and to Rev. N.B. Rogers, translator, for the permission to use this translation.

The Bible

 

Revelation 4:5

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5 And out of the throne proceeded lightnings and thunderings and voices: and there were seven lamps of fire burning before the throne, which are the seven Spirits of God.