Apocalypse Explained #919
919. (Verse 19) And the angel thrust in his sickle into the earth, and gathered the vintage of the vineyard of the earth. That this signifies that this was done, is evident from what has been just said in the above article.
That vineyard signifies the spiritual church is evident from the passages in the Word, where vineyard is mentioned:
As in Isaiah 1:8; 3:14; 5:1-10; 16:10; 36:17; 37:30; 65:21; Jeremiah 12:10; 32:15; 35:7, 9; 39:10; Ezekiel 28:26; Hosea 2:15; Amos 4:9; 5:11, 17; 9:14; Micah 1:6; Zephaniah 1:13; 1 Sam. 8:14, 15; Psalm 107:37; Matthew 20:1-8; 21:28, 38-41; Mark 12:1-9; Luke 13:6, 7; 20:9-16. And concerning a vine, see John 15:1-12.
Besides, in the historical parts of the Word. From which it is clearly evident that by a vineyard the church is meant; see also above (n. 376, 403, 638, 918), where many passages in which vineyard is mentioned are explained.
From the signification of vineyard it is evident, that by gathering the vintage, is signified to collect for uses those things that are to be serviceable to the understanding, and to impart intelligence and wisdom; and, in the opposite sense, to devastate the church as to spiritual good, and consequently as to the affection and understanding of truth. In this opposite sense, vintage and to gather the vintage are mentioned when there are no longer any clusters or grapes remaining; which, in the spiritual sense, signifies that all spiritual good, and thence all truth which in itself is truth, is destroyed; and this is chiefly effected in the church by falsifications of the Word. Also when evil of life corrupts all good, and then the falsity of doctrine perverts all truth; this is described also by devastators and thieves. That, therefore, by gathering the vintage is signified devastation, is evident from the following passages.
[2] In Isaiah:
"A cry over the wine in the streets; all joy shall be commingled; the gladness of the earth shall be banished. The remainder in the city shall be wasteness, and the gate shall be smitten even to devastation. For so shall it be in the midst of the earth, as the shaking of the olive tree, as the gleanings when the vintage is done" (24:11, 12, 13).
By these words mourning over the devastation of the church as to celestial good, and as to spiritual good, is described; which, in its essence, is truth from celestial good. Devastation is compared to the shaking of an olive tree, and to the gleanings when the vintage is done; but the particulars of this passage may be seen explained above (n. 313, 638).
[3] In the same:
"Ye confident daughters in your ears perceive my word; year upon year shall ye be moved, ye confident; for the vintage is ended, the gathering shall not come" (32:9, 10).
By confident daughters are signified those in the church who love falsities more than truths. That truths with them are successively diminished and in every state, is signified by being moved year upon year. The devastation of all truth even till there is nothing remaining, is signified by the vintage being ended, and the gathering not coming.
[4] In Jeremiah:
"Upon thy fruits of autumn, and upon thy vintage, hath the spoiler fallen, whence gladness is gathered and joy out of Carmel" (48:32, 33).
By the fruits of autumn are signified the goods of the church, by the vintage are signified the truths thereof; for bread, which is there meant by the fruit of autumn, signifies the good of the church, and wine, which is of the vintage, signifies the truth thereof. By the spoiler who fell upon them, is signified evil and falsity therefrom. That the delight of spiritual and celestial love, which is the very joy of the heart, is about to perish, is signified by gladness and joy being gathered out of Carmel.
[5] In Micah:
"Woe is me! I am become as the gatherings of the summer, as the gleanings of the vintage: not a cluster to eat: my soul desireth the first-fruit" (7:1).
As the gleanings of the vintage, not a cluster to eat, signifies the devastation of the church being such that there is no longer any good and truth. The rest may be seen explained in the article just preceding.
In Jeremiah:
"If the grape-gatherers come to thee, they will not leave any gleanings: if thieves in the night, they will destroy sufficiency" (49:9).
In Obadiah:
"If thieves come to thee, if destroyers by night, when thou shalt be cut off, will they not steal till they have enough? if the grape-gatherers come to thee, will they leave any clusters?" (vers. 4, 5).
By the grape-gatherers are signified falsities, and by thieves evils, which devastate the truths and goods of the church. But by destroyers are signified both falsities and evils. By their not leaving any clusters, is signified there not being any goods because there are no truths. But by gathering the vintage, is signified to gather for uses such things especially as are to be serviceable to the understanding,
In Jeremiah 6:9; Leviticus 19:10; 26:5; Deuteronomy 20:6, 7; 24:21.
Jeremiah 35
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The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, saying,
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Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak to them, and bring them into the house of Yahweh, into one of the rooms, and give them wine to drink.
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Then I took Jaazaniah the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers, and all his sons, and the whole house of the Rechabites;
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and I brought them into the house of Yahweh, into the room of the sons of Hanan the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was by the room of the princes, which was above the room of Maaseiah the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.
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I set before the sons of the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine, and cups; and I said to them, Drink wine!
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But they said, We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, You shall drink no wine, neither you, nor your sons, forever:
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neither shall you build house, nor sow seed, nor plant vineyard, nor have any; but all your days you shall dwell in tents; that you may live many days in the land in which you live.
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We have obeyed the voice of Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, in all that he commanded us, to drink no wine all our days, we, our wives, our sons, or our daughters;
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nor to build houses for us to dwell in; neither have we vineyard, nor field, nor seed:
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but we have lived in tents, and have obeyed, and done according to all that Jonadab our father commanded us.
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But it happened, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon came up into the land, that we said, Come, and let us go to Jerusalem for fear of the army of the Chaldeans, and for fear of the army of the Syrians; so we dwell at Jerusalem.
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Then came the word of Yahweh to Jeremiah, saying,
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Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Go, and tell the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, Will you not receive instruction to listen to my words? says Yahweh.
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The words of Jonadab the son of Rechab, that he commanded his sons, not to drink wine, are performed; and to this day they drink none, for they obey their father's commandment: but I have spoken to you, rising up early and speaking; and you have not listened to me.
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I have sent also to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and don't go after other gods to serve them, and you shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but you have not inclined your ear, nor listened to me.
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Because the sons of Jonadab the son of Rechab have performed the commandment of their father which he commanded them, but this people has not listened to me;
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therefore thus says Yahweh, the God of Armies, the God of Israel: Behold, I will bring on Judah and on all the inhabitants of Jerusalem all the evil that I have pronounced against them; because I have spoken to them, but they have not heard; and I have called to them, but they have not answered.
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Jeremiah said to the house of the Rechabites, Thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Because you have obeyed the commandment of Jonadab your father, and kept all his precepts, and done according to all that he commanded you;
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therefore thus says Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel: Jonadab the son of Rechab shall not want a man to stand before me forever.
