Apocalypse Revealed #809
809. 19:5 Then a voice came from the throne, saying, "Praise our God, all you His servants and those who fear Him." This symbolizes an influx from the Lord into heaven and a consequent accord on the part of angels that all those prompted by truths of faith and goods of love worship the Lord as the only God of heaven.
The voice that came from the throne symbolizes an influx from the Lord into heaven. It was from the Lord because He who sat on the throne was the Lord, as shown just above in no. 808. Therefore an influx is meant by the voice that came from it; for the Lord, being above the heavens and appearing to the angels as a sun, does not speak to angels from there, but flows in, and whatever flows in is received in heaven and given voice. Consequently even though the voice here came from the throne, still John heard it from heaven, thus from angels there, and whatever angels say from heaven is from the Lord.
"Praise our God" symbolizes an injunction to worship the Lord as the only God of heaven. That to praise God is to worship Him will be seen below. All His servants symbolize all people who are governed by truths of faith (nos. 3, 380). All who fear Him symbolize people who are prompted by goods of love (nos. 527, 628).
[2] That to praise God means, symbolically, to worship Him, and therefore that praise of Him is worship of Him, is clear from many passages in the Word, of which we will cite just a few:
Suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of (them) praising God... (Luke 2:13, cf. 2:20)
...the whole multitude of the disciples began to... praise God with a loud voice... (Luke 19:37)
...they were... in the temple praising and blessing God. (Luke 24:53)
Proclaim, give praise, and say, "O Jehovah, save Your people...." (Jeremiah 31:7)
Praise Jehovah in the heavens; praise Him in the heights! Praise Him... His angels; Praise Him... His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens... Let them praise the name of Jehovah... Praise Jehovah from the earth... He has exalted... the praise... of all His (people).... (Psalms 148:1-5, 7, 13-14)
Out of the mouth of babes and nursing infants You have perfected praise. (Matthew 21:16)
All the people... gave praise to God. (Luke 18:43)
And so on elsewhere, as in Isaiah 42:8; 60:18; Joel 2:26; Psalms 113:1, 3; 117:1.
What is said in the present verse does not relate to what was said before regarding the Roman Catholic religion, but to what is said hereafter regarding the New Church to be established by the Lord, which is the subject now in the following verses.
Revelation 7
1
After this, I saw four angels standing at the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, so that no wind would blow on the earth, or on the sea, or on any tree.
2
I saw another angel ascend from the sunrise, having the seal of the living God. He cried with a loud voice to the four angels to whom it was given to harm the earth and the sea,
3
saying, "Don't harm the earth, neither the sea, nor the trees, until we have sealed the bondservants of our God on their foreheads!"
4
I heard the number of those who were sealed, one hundred forty-four thousand, sealed out of every tribe of the children of Israel:
5
of the tribe of Judah were sealed twelve thousand, of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand, of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand,
6
of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand, of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand, of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand,
7
of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand, of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand, of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand,
8
of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand, of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand, of the tribe of Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand.
9
After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude, which no man could number, out of every nation and of all tribes, peoples, and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, dressed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands.
10
They cried with a loud voice, saying, "Salvation be to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!"
11
All the angels were standing around the throne, the elders, and the four living creatures; and they fell on their faces before his throne, and worshiped God,
12
saying, "Amen! Blessing, glory, wisdom, thanksgiving, honor, power, and might, be to our God forever and ever! Amen."
13
One of the elders answered, saying to me, "These who are arrayed in white robes, who are they, and from where did they come?"
14
I told him, "My lord, you know." He said to me, "These are those who came out of the great tribulation. They washed their robes, and made them white in the Lamb's blood.
15
Therefore they are before the throne of God, they serve him day and night in his temple. He who sits on the throne will spread his tabernacle over them.
16
They will never be hungry, neither thirsty any more; neither will the sun beat on them, nor any heat;
17
for the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shepherds them, and leads them to springs of waters of life. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes."
