302. I have talked with angels about the conjunction of heaven with the human race, and I said that, while the man of the Church declares that all good is from God, and that angels are with man, yet few believe that angels are conjoined to man, still less that they are in his thought and affection. To this the angels replied that they know that there is such a belief and even such a mode of speaking in the world, and especially, to their surprise, within the Church, where yet there is the Word to teach men about heaven and its conjunction with man. Nevertheless, there is such a conjunction that man is unable to think the least thing apart from the spirits adjoined to him, and on this his spiritual life depends. They said that the cause of ignorance of this matter is man's belief that he lives from himself, without a connection with the First Being (Esse) of life; and that he does not know that this connection exists by means of the heavens; and yet if that connection were broken man would instantly fall down dead. If man believed, as is really true, that all good is from the Lord and all evil from hell, he would not make the good in him a matter of merit nor would evil be imputed to him; for he would then look to the Lord in all the good he thinks and does, and all the evil that inflows would be cast down to hell whence it comes. But because man does not believe that there is any influx into him either from heaven or from hell, and so supposes that all the things that he thinks and wills are in himself, and therefore from himself, he appropriates the evil to himself, and the inflowing good he defiles with merit.

415. APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER 7.

1. After these things I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow upon the earth, nor upon the sea, nor upon any tree.

2. And I saw another angel ascending from the rising of the sun, having the seal of the living God; and he cried with a great voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea;

3. Saying, Hurt not the earth, nor the sea, nor the trees, till we have sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads.

4. And I heard the number of those sealed; a hundred and forty-four thousand sealed out of every tribe [of the sons] ¹ of Israel.

5. Of the tribe of Judah twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Reuben twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Gad twelve thousand sealed.

6. Of the tribe of Asher twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Naphtali twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Manasseh twelve thousand sealed.

7. Of the tribe of Simeon twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Levi twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Issachar twelve thousand sealed.

8. Of the tribe of Zebulun twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Joseph twelve thousand sealed; of the tribe of Benjamin twelve thousand sealed.

9. After these things I saw, and behold a great multitude, which no one could number, out of every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palms in their hands.

10. And crying with a great voice, saying, Salvation unto our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb.

11. And all the angels stood around the throne and the elders and the four animals, and they fell before the throne upon their faces, and worshiped God.

12. Saying, Amen: the blessing and the glory and the wisdom and the thanksgiving and the honor and the power and the strength unto our God unto the ages of the ages; amen.

13. And one of the elders answered, saying to me, These clothed with the white robes, who are they, and whence came they?

14. And I said unto him, Lord, thou knowest. And he said unto me, These are they who come out of the great tribulation, and have washed their robes and have made their robes white in the blood of the Lamb.

15. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and they serve Him day and night in His temple; and He that sitteth on the throne shall dwell over them.

16. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst anymore; neither shall the sun fall on them, nor any heat.

17. For the Lamb who is in the midst of the throne shall feed them, and shall guide them unto living fountains of waters; and God shall wipe away every tear from their eyes.

EXPOSITION

Verse 1. And after these things I saw four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth, holding the four winds of the earth, that the wind should not blow upon the earth, nor upon the sea, nor upon any tree.

1. "And after these things I saw," signifies a new perception as to the state of heaven before the Last Judgment (n. 416); "four angels standing upon the four corners of the earth," signifies the Divine proceeding from the Lord in the whole spiritual world n. 417; "holding the four winds of the earth," signifies moderation of its influx n. 418; "that the wind should not blow," signifies that the good be not injured, and the evil be not cast out before the day n. 419; "upon the earth nor upon the sea nor upon any tree," signifies everywhere in the spiritual world, even to its ultimates, with those who have some perception (n. 420).

Notas de rodapé:

Ouvir o áudio em uma nova janela

Even when you've been forgiven by others, we can look back in horror at some of the things we've done and have a hard time forgiving ourselves. At some point we have to draw a line in the sand and say, "That's not who I am anymore" and let go of those condemning thoughts.

(Referências: Acts of the Apostles 3:19; Arcana Coelestia 8159; Exodus 14:9-14; Heaven and Hell 302; Jeremiah 31:31-34; Romans 7:14-20)