Commentary

 

#91 What to Do about a Falling Star Problem

By Jonathan S. Rose

Title: What to Do about a Falling Star Problem

Topic: Second Coming

Summary: We look at stars from Genesis 1 to Revelation 22, and see how unstarlike they sometimes are. Stars in Scripture are subject to (1) darkening, and (2) falling, even to the earth. What does this mean?

Use the reference links below to follow along in the Bible as you watch.

References:
Genesis 1:14; 15:5; 37:9
Numbers 24:17
Deuteronomy 1:10; 10:22; 28:62
Job 9:7
Ecclesiastes 12:2
Isaiah 13:10
Joel 2:10; 3:15
Genesis 37:9-10
Daniel 8:10
Job 9:2-9; 15:15; 25:4-6; 38:1-7
Psalms 148:1-3
Ecclesiastes 12:1-2
Isaiah 13:9-10
Ezekiel 32:7-8
Daniel 8:3; 12:3
Joel 2:10, 31; 3:15
Matthew 2:2, 9-10; 24:29
Mark 13:25
Luke 21:25
1 Corinthians 15:41
Revelation 8:12
Matthew 24:29
Mark 13:25
Revelation 6:13; 8:10; 9:1; 12:4; 1:16, 20; 2:1; 3:1; 6:13; 8:10; 9:1; 12:1, 4; 22:16

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Spirit and Life Bible Study broadcast from 5/16/2012. The complete series is available at: www.spiritandlifebiblestudy.com

The Bible

 

Genesis 15:5

Study

       

5 And he brought him forth abroad, and said, Look now toward heaven, and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them: and he said unto him, So shall thy seed be.

From Swedenborg's Works

 

Arcana Coelestia #1806

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1806. That 'He brought him outside' means the sight possessed by the Interior Man, which from external things sees internal things, becomes clear from the meaning of 'bringing outside' and at the same time from what follows next. Internal things are 'brought out' when someone looks with his physical eyes at the starry sky and from this thinks about the Lord's kingdom. Whenever a person sees anything with his eyes, yet so to speak does not see the things he sees, but from them sees or thinks of the things that belong to the Church or to heaven, his interior sight, that is, the sight of his spirit or soul, is being 'brought outside'. Strictly speaking the eye itself is nothing else than the sight of the spirit itself 'brought outside', the specific purpose of this being that from external things a person may see internal things, that is, that from objects existing in the world he may reflect continually on things that exist in the next life, for it is for the sake of that life that he lives in the world. Such was the sight of the Most Ancient Church; such is the sight of angels who reside with man; and such was the Lord's sight.

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