Apocalypse Revealed # 51
51. Having in His right hand seven stars. (1:16) This symbolizes all concepts of goodness and truth in the Word, which exist therefore in angels in heaven and in people in the church.
When angels are below the heavens, a great number of what look like little stars appear around them, and likewise around spirits who, when they lived in the world, acquired concepts of goodness and truth for themselves from the Word, or truths of life and doctrine. These little stars appear fixed, however, in the case of those who possess genuine truths from the Word, but wandering in the case of those who possess falsified truths.
(Regarding these little stars, and the stars appearing in the sky there, I could relate marvelous things, but that is not the subject of this work.)
It is apparent from this that stars symbolize concepts of goodness and truth from the Word.
The Son of Man's having them in His right hand means, symbolically, that they come from the Lord alone through the Word. Seven symbolically means all, as may be seen in no. 10 above.
[2] That stars symbolize concepts of goodness and truth from the Word may be seen also from the following passages:
(I will) turn the earth into a wasteland... ...the stars of heaven and their constellations will not give their light. (Isaiah 13:9-10)
The earth that will be turned into a wasteland is the church, in which, having been laid waste, concepts of goodness and truth in the Word are not seen.
When I put out your light, I will cover the heavens... All the bright lights of the heavens I will make dark over you, and bring darkness upon your land. (Ezekiel 32:7-8)
Darkness upon the land is the darkness of falsities in the church.
The sun and moon grow dark, and the stars diminish their brightness. (Joel 2:10; 3:15)
...after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven... (Matthew 24:29, cf. Mark 13:24)
The stars of heaven fell to the earth, as a fig tree drops its late figs... (Revelation 6:13)
...a star (fell) from heaven to the earth. (Revelation 9:1)
Stars falling from heaven do not mean stars, but concepts of goodness and truth perishing.
[3] This is still more apparent from the statement that a dragon swept down a third of the stars from heaven, in Revelation 12:4, and the statement that a he-goat cast down some of the stars and trampled them, in Daniel 8:8-11. That is why the next verse in Daniel goes on to say that it cast truth to the ground (Daniel 8:12).
Stars also symbolize concepts of goodness and truth in the following passages:
(Jehovah) counts... the stars; He gives all of them names. (Psalms 147:4)
Praise (Jehovah), all you stars of light! (Psalms 148:3)
The stars from their courses fought... (Judges 5:20)
From this it is apparent what is meant by the following statement in Daniel:
The intelligent shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, ...those turning many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever. (Daniel 12:3)
The intelligent are people concerned with truths, and those turning many to righteousness are those concerned with goodness.
Matthew 6
1
"Be careful that you don't do your charitable giving before men, to be seen by them, or else you have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.
2
Therefore when you do merciful deeds, don't sound a trumpet before yourself, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may get glory from men. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.
3
But when you do merciful deeds, don't let your left hand know what your right hand does,
4
so that your merciful deeds may be in secret, then your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
5
"When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most certainly, I tell you, they have received their reward.
6
But you, when you pray, enter into your inner room, and having shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.
7
In praying, don't use vain repetitions, as the Gentiles do; for they think that they will be heard for their much speaking.
8
Therefore don't be like them, for your Father knows what things you need, before you ask him.
9
Pray like this: 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy.
10
Let your Kingdom come. Let your will be done, as in heaven, so on earth.
11
Give us today our daily bread.
12
Forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors.
13
Bring us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For yours is the Kingdom, the power, and the glory forever. Amen.'
14
"For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
15
But if you don't forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
16
"Moreover when you fast, don't be like the hypocrites, with sad faces. For they disfigure their faces, that they may be seen by men to be fasting. Most certainly I tell you, they have received their reward.
17
But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face;
18
so that you are not seen by men to be fasting, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father, who sees in secret, will reward you.
19
"Don't lay up treasures for yourselves on the earth, where moth and rust consume, and where thieves break through and steal;
20
but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consume, and where thieves don't break through and steal;
21
for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
22
"The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is sound, your whole body will be full of light.
23
But if your eye is evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!
24
"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other; or else he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You can't serve both God and Mammon.
25
Therefore, I tell you, don't be anxious for your life: what you will eat, or what you will drink; nor yet for your body, what you will wear. Isn't life more than food, and the body more than clothing?
26
See the birds of the sky, that they don't sow, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns. Your heavenly Father feeds them. Aren't you of much more value than they?
27
"Which of you, by being anxious, can add one moment to his lifespan?
28
Why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow. They don't toil, neither do they spin,
29
yet I tell you that even Solomon in all his glory was not dressed like one of these.
30
But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today exists, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, won't he much more clothe you, you of little faith?
31
"Therefore don't be anxious, saying, 'What will we eat?', 'What will we drink?' or, 'With what will we be clothed?'
32
For the Gentiles seek after all these things; for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things.
33
But seek first God's Kingdom, and his righteousness; and all these things will be given to you as well.
34
Therefore don't be anxious for tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own evil is sufficient.
