Apocalypse Revealed #474
474. Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever. (10:6; 10:6) This symbolizes an attestation and testification of the Lord on His own authority.
The angel standing on the sea and on the land means the Lord (no. 470). Lifting up the hand to heaven symbolizes an attestation, here that there should be no more time (verse 6). Swearing symbolizes a testification, here that in the days of the sounding of the seventh angel the mystery of God would be concluded (verse 7). He who lives forever and ever means the Lord, as in Revelation 1:18; 4:9-10, and 5:14 above, and in Daniel 4:34. That the Lord swears on His own authority will be seen shortly.
It is apparent from this that the statement, "Then the angel whom I saw standing on the sea and on the land lifted up his hand to heaven and swore by Him who lives forever and ever," symbolizes an attestation and testification of the Lord on His own authority.
[2] That Jehovah swears or testifies on His own authority is clear from the following passages:
I have sworn by Myself; a word has gone out of My mouth (which) shall not return... (Isaiah 45:23)
I swear by Myself... that this house shall become a desolation. (Jeremiah 22:5)
Jehovah... has sworn by His soul. (Jeremiah 51:14, Amos 6:8)
...Jehovah has sworn by His holiness. (Amos 4:2)
Jehovah has sworn by His right hand and by the arm of His strength. (Isaiah 62:8)
Behold, I have sworn by My great name... (Jeremiah 44:26)
That Jehovah, which is to say, the Lord, swore by Himself or on His own authority means, symbolically, that Divine truth attests; for the Lord is Divine truth itself, and this attests of itself and on its own authority.
In addition to these passages, that Jehovah swore may be seen in Isaiah 14:24; 54:9, Psalms 89:3, 35; 95:11; 110:4; 132:11.
We are told that Jehovah swore because the church established with the children of Israel was a representational church, and the conjunction of the Lord with the church was represented by a covenant, like one made between two parties who swear to their compact. Therefore, because an oath was a part of any covenant, we are told that Jehovah swore. Still, this does not mean that He swore, but that Divine truth attests to something.
[3] That an oath was a part of any covenant is apparent from the following:
I swore an oath to you and entered into a covenant with you, so that you became Mine... (Ezekiel 16:8)
...to remember His covenant, the oath which He swore... (Luke 1:72-73; cf. Psalms 105:9, Jeremiah 11:5; 32:22, Deuteronomy 1:34; 10:11; 11:9, 21; 26:3, 15; 31:20; 34:4)
Because the covenant was representative of the conjunction of the Lord with the church, and reciprocally of the church with the Lord, and because an oath was a part of any covenant and was to be sworn on the ground of the truth in it, being sworn thus also in appeal to that truth, therefore the children of Israel were permitted to swear by Jehovah, and so in appeal to Divine truth (Exodus 20:7, Leviticus 19:12, Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:20, Isaiah 48:1; 65:16, Jeremiah 4:2, Zechariah 5:4).
After the representative constituents of the church were abrogated, however, the Lord also abrogated oaths to covenants (Matthew 5:33-37; 23:16-22).
啟示錄 17
1
拿著七碗的七位天使中，有一位前來對我說：你到這裡來，我將坐在眾水上的大淫婦所要受的刑罰指給你看。
2
地上的君王與他行淫，住在地上的人喝醉了他淫亂的酒。
3
我被聖靈感動，天使帶我到曠野去，我就看見一個女人騎在朱紅色的獸上；那獸有七頭十角，遍體有褻瀆的名號。
4
那女人穿著紫色和朱紅色的衣服，用金子、寶石、珍珠為妝飾；手拿金杯，杯中盛滿了可憎之物，就是他淫亂的污穢。
5
在他額上有名寫著說：奧祕哉！大巴比倫，作世上的淫婦和一切可憎之物的母。
6
我又看見那女人喝醉了聖徒的血和為耶穌作見證之人的血。我看見他，就大大的希奇。
7
天使對我說：你為甚麼希奇呢？我要將這女人和馱著他的那七頭十角獸的奧祕告訴你。
8
你所看見的獸，先前有，如今沒有，將要從無底坑裡上來，又要歸於沉淪。凡住在地上、名字從創世以來沒有記在生命冊上的，見先前有、如今沒有、以後再有的獸，就必希奇。
10
又是七位王；五位已經傾倒了，一位還在，一位還沒有來到；他來的時候，必須暫時存留。
11
那先前有如今沒有的獸，就是第八位；他也和那七位同列，並且歸於沉淪。
12
你所看見的那十角就是十王；他們還沒有得國，但他們一時之間要和獸同得權柄，與王一樣。
13
他們同心合意將自己的能力、權柄給那獸。
14
他們與羔羊爭戰，羔羊必勝過他們，因為羔羊是萬主之主、萬王之王。同著羔羊的，就是蒙召、被選、有忠心的，也必得勝。
15
天使又對我說，你所看見那淫婦坐的眾水，就是多民、多人、多國、多方。
16
你所看見的那十角與獸必恨這淫婦，使他冷落赤身，又要吃他的肉，用火將他燒盡。
17
因為神使諸王同心合意，遵行他的旨意，把自己的國給那獸，直等到神的話都應驗了。
18
你所看見的那女人就是管轄地上眾王的大城。
