[This second section of threshold materials is a reconstruction of the lost text of Spiritual Experiences, paragraphs 1 to 148, 1:3, from the indexes and the "Bath Fragment."]
Revelation 11
1
And there was given me a reed like unto a rod: and the angel stood, saying, Rise, and measure the temple of God, and the altar, and them that worship therein.
2
But the court which is without the temple leave out, and measure it not; for it is given unto the Gentiles: and the holy city shall they tread under foot forty and two months.
3
And I will give power unto my two witnesses, and they shall prophesy a thousand two hundred and threescore days, clothed in sackcloth.
4
These are the two olive trees, and the two candlesticks standing before the God of the earth.
5
And if any man will hurt them, fire proceedeth out of their mouth, and devoureth their enemies: and if any man will hurt them, he must in this manner be killed.
6
These have power to shut heaven, that it rain not in the days of their prophecy: and have power over waters to turn them to blood, and to smite the earth with all plagues, as often as they will.
7
And when they shall have finished their testimony, the beast that ascendeth out of the bottomless pit shall make war against them, and shall overcome them, and kill them.
8
And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.
9
And they of the people and kindreds and tongues and nations shall see their dead bodies three days and an half, and shall not suffer their dead bodies to be put in graves.
10
And they that dwell upon the earth shall rejoice over them, and make merry, and shall send gifts one to another; because these two prophets tormented them that dwelt on the earth.
11
And after three days and an half the Spirit of life from God entered into them, and they stood upon their feet; and great fear fell upon them which saw them.
12
And they heard a great voice from heaven saying unto them, Come up hither. And they ascended up to heaven in a cloud; and their enemies beheld them.
13
And the same hour was there a great earthquake, and the tenth part of the city fell, and in the earthquake were slain of men seven thousand: and the remnant were affrighted, and gave glory to the God of heaven.
14
The second woe is past; and, behold, the third woe cometh quickly.
15
And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of this world are become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of his Christ; and he shall reign for ever and ever.
16
And the four and twenty elders, which sat before God on their seats, fell upon their faces, and worshipped God,
17
Saying, We give thee thanks, O Lord God Almighty, which art, and wast, and art to come; because thou hast taken to thee thy great power, and hast reigned.
18
And the nations were angry, and thy wrath is come, and the time of the dead, that they should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, and them that fear thy name, small and great; and shouldest destroy them which destroy the earth.
19
And the temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen in his temple the ark of his testament: and there were lightnings, and voices, and thunderings, and an earthquake, and great hail.
Apocalypse Explained #683
683. Saying, The kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's, signifies all things in the heavens and on earth subject to the Lord, when the evil have been separated from the good, and that then the Divine good and Divine truth proceeding from the Lord are clearly received. This is evident from the signification of "the kingdoms of the world when they have become the Lord's," as being that the Divine proceeding from the Lord is received in love and faith (of which presently); also from the signification of "the Lord and His Christ," as being the Lord in relation to the Divine good of the Divine love, and in relation to the Divine truth proceeding from that love. That the Lord is called "Lord" from Divine good, and "Christ" from Divine truth, will be seen below.
[2] That "the kingdom of the Lord" means the reception of Divine good and Divine truth, thus with those who receive, can be seen from this, that with the angels of heaven and with the men of the church the Lord reigns through that which proceeds from Him, which is commonly called Divine good and Divine truth, likewise justice and judgment, also love and faith. It is through these that the Lord reigns, consequently these are strictly the Lord's kingdom with those who receive them; for when these reign with angels and men then the Lord Himself reigns, for the things that proceed from Him are Himself. The Lord in heaven is no other than the Divine proceeding.
[3] The Lord indeed not only rules those that receive Divine celestial and spiritual things from Him, but also those that do not receive, as all who are in hell; still it cannot be said that the Lord's kingdom is in hell, since those there are altogether unwilling to be ruled by the Divine that proceeds and according to the laws of its order; they even deny the Lord and turn themselves away from Him; yet the Lord does rule them, not like subjects and citizens of His kingdom, but like those who are refractory and rebellious, holding them in bonds that they may not do evil to one another, and especially to those who belong to His kingdom.
[4] That the Lord's kingdom is that which proceeds from Him and is received can be seen from passages in the Word where "the kingdom of God" is mentioned, as in the Lord's Prayer:
Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done, as in heaven so also upon the earth (Matthew 6:10).
"Kingdom" evidently means here the reception of Divine good and Divine truth proceeding from the Lord, and in which the Lord is with the angels of heaven and the men of the church, for it is added, "Thy will be done, as in heaven so also upon the earth," and the will of God is done when these are received in heart and soul, that is, in love and faith.
[5] And elsewhere:
Seek ye first the kingdom of the heavens 1 and His righteousness and all things shall be added to you (Matthew 6:33).
"The kingdom of the heavens" means in the spiritual sense Divine truth, and "righteousness" Divine good, therefore it is said, "Seek ye first the kingdom of the heavens and His righteousness." But in the highest sense "the kingdom of the heavens" means the Lord, since He is the all of His kingdom, and in the same sense "righteousness" signifies the Lord's merit. And as a man who is ruled by the Lord desires and loves only such things as are of the Lord, he is, unknown to himself, forever led to felicities; and this is why it is said that "all things shall be added to him," meaning that all things that tend to his salvation shall come to pass according to his desire.
[6] Since heaven is heaven from the reception of Divine truth from the Lord, likewise the church, so in a general sense heaven and the church are meant by "the kingdom of God" and "the kingdom of the heavens;" therefore those who receive Divine truth are called by the Lord "sons of the kingdom," in Matthew:
The field is the world, the seed are the sons of the kingdom, the tares are the sons of the evil one (Matthew 13:38).
It is evident that those who receive Divine truth are meant by "the sons of the kingdom," for it is said, "the seed are the sons of the kingdom, and the tares are the sons of the evil one," "seed" meaning Divine truth, and "tares" infernal falsity; such are called "sons" because in the spiritual sense of the Word "sons" signify truths, and in the contrary sense falsities (See above, n. 166).
[7] Moreover, "the kingdom of God" signifies the church in respect to truths from good, and also heaven (as may be seen above, n. 48; and "the kingdom of God" with man signifies to be in truths from good from the Lord, thus in wisdom, and consequently in the power to resist falsities and evils, therefore "to reign" belongs to the Lord alone (See also above, n. 333.
Footnotes:
1. The Greek has "God," as found also in AC (first sentence = motto); 5449; Heaven and Hell 64.
