32
Nebo pustím strach svůj v zemi živých, a položen bude mezi neobřezanci s zbitými mečem Farao i všecko množství jeho, praví Panovník Hospodin.
Ezechiel 32:32
Apocalypse Explained #72
72. Verse 16. And having in His right hand seven stars, signifies all knowledges of good and truth from Him. This is evident from the signification of "having in His right hand," as being from Him; for "hand" signifies power, thus it signifies whatever pertains to one, and so also whatever is from him. It is said "right hand," because "right hand" signifies the power of good through truth. (That "hand" signifies power, see Arcana Coelestia, n. Arcana Coelestia 878, 3091, 4931-4937, 6947, 10019; and consequently that it signifies whatever pertains to one, and so also whatever is from him, 9133, 10019, 10405; that the "right hand" signifies the power of good through truth, see n. 9604, 9736, 10061; and that "the right hand of Jehovah" signifies the Lord's Divine power, thus omnipotence, see n. 3387, 4592, 4933, 7518, 7673, 8281, 9133, 10019.) This is evident also from the signification of "stars," as being the knowledges of good and truth, of which more in what follows; and from the signification of "seven," as being all (See above, n. 20, 24).
[2] That "stars" signify the knowledges of good and truth, thus goods and truths, is from the appearance in the spiritual world; for there the Lord appears as a sun, and angels from afar off as stars. Angels appear thus from their reception of light from the Lord as a sun, thus from their reception of Divine truth, which is from the Lord, for this is the light of heaven. From this it is that it is said in Daniel:
The intelligent shall shine as the brightness of the expanse; and they that justify many, as the stars for ever and ever (Daniel 12:3).
The "intelligent" are they that are in truths, and "they that justify" are those that are in good (See the work on Heaven and Hell 346-348).
[3] When it is known to any that the "sun" signifies the Lord in respect to Divine love, thus also Divine love from the Lord, and that "stars" signify the truths of the church and knowledges thereof, these can also know what is signified in the Word where it is said that "the sun shall be darkened," and that "the stars shall not give light," also that they "shall fall from heaven;" and also what "stars" signify when mentioned elsewhere in the Word, as in the following passages. In Isaiah:
I will make the land a waste, and destroy the sinners thereof out of it; the stars of the heaven and the constellations thereof shall not shine forth with their light; the sun shall be darkened in his going forth, and the moon shall not make bright her light (Isaiah 13:9-10).
The vastation of the church is here treated of, which is when there is no good of love any more, nor any truths of faith. The "land" that shall be laid waste is the church; the "land" is the church (as may be seen above, n. 29.
[4] In Ezekiel:
When I shall extinguish thee I will cover the heavens, and will make the stars dark; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not make her light to shine; all the luminaries of light will I make dark over thee, and I will set darkness upon the land (Ezekiel 32:7-8
"Darkness upon the land" means falsities in the church. In Joel:
The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars withdraw their brightness (Joel 2:10-11; 3:15).
In Matthew:
In the consummation of the age, after the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of the heavens shall be shaken (Matthew 24:29; Mark 13:24).
In Daniel:
From one of the horns of the he-goat went forth a horn, a little one, and it waxed exceeding great towards the south, and towards the east, and towards splendor; and it waxed great towards the host of the heavens; and some of the host and of the stars it cast down and trampled upon them. Yea, it magnified itself even to the Prince of the host (Daniel 8:9-11).
By the "host of the heavens" the goods and truths of the church in the complex are meant (See Arcana Coelestia 3448, 7236, 7988, 8019); in particular, such as combat against falsities (See n. 7277). From this Jehovah is called "Jehovah Zebaoth," that is, Jehovah of Hosts (See n. 3448, 7988).
[5] In Revelation:
The dragon with his tail drew the third part of the stars of heaven to the earth (Revelation 12:4).
The "stars" here also are the goods and truths of the church, and the knowledges thereof; the "third part" is the greater part; but what is signified by the "dragon" will be told in what follows. In the same:
The stars of heaven fell unto the earth (Revelation 6:13).
In the same:
A star from heaven is fallen unto the earth (Revelation 9:1).
In the same:
There fell from heaven a great star burning as a torch; it fell upon the third part of the rivers, and upon the fountains of waters (Revelation 8:10).
As "stars" signify the goods and truths of the church and the knowledges thereof, by their "falling from heaven" is signified that these perish. In David:
Jehovah telleth the number of the stars, He calleth them all by names (Psalms 147:4).
In the same:
Praise ye Jehovah, sun and moon; praise Him, all ye stars of light (Psalms 148:3).
In the book of Judges:
The kings came, they fought from heaven; the stars in their courses fought (Judges 5:19-20).
Since the angels in the spiritual heaven shine as stars, and since all the truths and goods that are with the angels are from the Lord, therefore the Lord, as He is called an "Angel," is likewise called a "Star," as in Moses:
There shall arise a star out of Jacob, and a Scepter shall arise out of Israel (Numbers 24:17).
In Revelation:
Jesus, the bright and morning Star (Revelation 22:16).
From this it can be seen:
Why the wise men from the east saw a star, and followed it, and why it stood where Jesus had been born (Matthew 2:1-2, 9).
From this it can now be known what is signified by the "seven stars" that were in the right hand of the Son of man, who there is the Lord in respect to the Divine Human (See above, n. 63).
Leviticus 15
1
Yahweh spoke to Moses and to Aaron, saying,
2
"Speak to the children of Israel, and tell them, 'When any man has a discharge from his body, because of his discharge he is unclean.
3
This shall be his uncleanness in his discharge: whether his body runs with his discharge, or his body has stopped from his discharge, it is his uncleanness.
4
"'Every bed whereon he who has the discharge lies shall be unclean; and everything he sits on shall be unclean.
5
Whoever touches his bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
6
He who sits on anything whereon the man who has the discharge sat shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
7
"'He who touches the body of him who has the discharge shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
8
"'If he who has the discharge spits on him who is clean, then he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
9
"'Whatever saddle he who has the discharge rides on shall be unclean.
10
Whoever touches anything that was under him shall be unclean until the evening. He who carries those things shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
11
"'Whoever he who has the discharge touches, without having rinsed his hands in water, he shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
12
"'The earthen vessel, which he who has the discharge touches, shall be broken; and every vessel of wood shall be rinsed in water.
13
"'When he who has a discharge is cleansed of his discharge, then he shall count to himself seven days for his cleansing, and wash his clothes; and he shall bathe his flesh in running water, and shall be clean.
14
"'On the eighth day he shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and come before Yahweh to the door of the Tent of Meeting, and give them to the priest:
15
and the priest shall offer them, the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering. The priest shall make atonement for him before Yahweh for his discharge.
16
"'If any man has an emission of semen, then he shall bathe all his flesh in water, and be unclean until the evening.
17
Every garment, and every skin, whereon the semen is, shall be washed with water, and be unclean until the evening.
18
If a man lies with a woman and there is an emission of semen, they shall both bathe themselves in water, and be unclean until the evening.
19
"'If a woman has a discharge, and her discharge in her flesh is blood, she shall be in her impurity seven days: and whoever touches her shall be unclean until the evening.
20
"'Everything that she lies on in her impurity shall be unclean. Everything also that she sits on shall be unclean.
21
Whoever touches her bed shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
22
Whoever touches anything that she sits on shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
23
If it is on the bed, or on anything whereon she sits, when he touches it, he shall be unclean until the evening.
24
"'If any man lies with her, and her monthly flow is on him, he shall be unclean seven days; and every bed whereon he lies shall be unclean.
25
"'If a woman has a discharge of her blood many days not in the time of her period, or if she has a discharge beyond the time of her period; all the days of the discharge of her uncleanness shall be as in the days of her period: she is unclean.
26
Every bed whereon she lies all the days of her discharge shall be to her as the bed of her period: and everything whereon she sits shall be unclean, as the uncleanness of her period.
27
Whoever touches these things shall be unclean, and shall wash his clothes, and bathe himself in water, and be unclean until the evening.
28
"'But if she is cleansed of her discharge, then she shall count to herself seven days, and after that she shall be clean.
29
On the eighth day she shall take two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, and bring them to the priest, to the door of the Tent of Meeting.
30
The priest shall offer the one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering; and the priest shall make atonement for her before Yahweh for the uncleanness of her discharge.
31
"'Thus you shall separate the children of Israel from their uncleanness, so they will not die in their uncleanness, when they defile my tabernacle that is in their midst.'"
32
This is the law of him who has a discharge, and of him who has an emission of semen, so that he is unclean thereby;
33
and of her who has her period, and of a man or woman who has a discharge, and of him who lies with her who is unclean.
