The Bible

 

Revelation 22

Study

   

1 And he shewed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb.

2 In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.

3 And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:

4 And they shall see his face; and his name shall be in their foreheads.

5 And there shall be no night there; and they need no candle, neither light of the sun; for the Lord God giveth them light: and they shall reign for ever and ever.

6 And he said unto me, These sayings are faithful and true: and the Lord God of the holy prophets sent his angel to shew unto his servants the things which must shortly be done.

7 Behold, I come quickly: blessed is he that keepeth the sayings of the prophecy of this book.

8 And I John saw these things, and heard them. And when I had heard and seen, I fell down to worship before the feet of the angel which shewed me these things.

9 Then saith he unto me, See thou do it not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.

10 And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: for the time is at hand.

11 He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he which is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still: and he that is holy, let him be holy still.

12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be.

13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last.

14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city.

15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star.

17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst Come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely.

18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book:

19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book.

20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus.

21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.

   

From Swedenborg's Works

 

A Brief Exposition of New Church Doctrine #71

Study this Passage

  
/ 120  
  

71. BRIEF ANALYSIS

We read in Matthew:

The disciples came to Jesus and showed Him the buildings of the temple. And Jesus said to them . . . Verily I say unto you. There shall not be left here one stone upon another that shall not be thrown down . . . And the disciples said to Him, Tell us when shall these things be, and especially what shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the consummation of the age. Matthew 24:1-3.

At this day, the learned clergy and the educated laity understand by the destruction of the temple its destruction by Vespasian; and by the coming of the Lord and the consummation of the age they understand the end and destruction of the world. But it should be known that by the destruction of the temple is meant, not only its destruction by the Romans, but also the destruction of the present Church; further, that by the consummation of the age and, then, the coming of the Lord is meant the end of this Church and the institution of a New Church by the Lord. That these things are meant there is evident from the whole of that chapter from beginning to end, treating, as it does, solely of the successive stages of decline and corruption of the Christian Church, even to its destruction, when it comes to its end. In a limited sense, by the temple is meant the temple at Jerusalem; in an extended sense, the Church of the Lord; in a still more extended sense, the angelic heaven; and in the highest sense, the Lord as to His Human; as may be seen inTHE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 529.

That by the consummation of the age is meant the end of the Church, which comes to pass when there remains no truth of doctrine from the Word which has not been falsified, and thus consummated, is shown in nos. THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED 658, 676, 750. That by the coming of the Lord is meant His coming in the Word, and the inauguration of a new Church in place of the former consummated one, appears from His own words in the aforesaid chapter, Matthew 24:30-34; likewise from the last two chapters of the Revelation, 21 and 22, where these words occur:

I, Jesus,... am the Root and the Offspring of David, the bright and morning Star. And the Spirit and the bride say, Come; and let him that heareth say, Come: and let him that is athirst come. . . . Yea, I come quickly, Amen. Even so come, Lord Jesus. Revelation 22:16-17, 20.

  
/ 120  
  

Thanks to the Swedenborg Society for the permission to use this translation.