Apocalypse Explained # 525
525. And the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars.- That this signifies that all the good of love, all the good and truth of faith, and all cognition of good and truth perished, is evident from the signification of the third part, as denoting all (see above, n. 506); from the signification of the sun, which denotes the good of love from the Lord; and from the signification of the moon, which denotes the good and truth of faith from the Lord (see above, n. 401); and from the signification of stars, which denote the cognitions of good and truth, also, from the Lord (see above, n. 72, 402); and from the signification of being smitten, when stated of the goods of love and faith, and of the cognitions of good and truth, as denoting to perish. It is therefore evident, that by the third part of the sun being smitten, and the third part of the moon, and the third part of the stars, is signified that all the good of love, all the good and truth of faith, and all cognition of good and truth, perished. The sun, moon, and stars, here mentioned, do not mean the sun, moon, and stars, seen by the eyes of men in our solar world, but the sun, moon, and stars, seen by the eyes of angels in the spiritual world; for there the Lord appears as a sun before the eyes of those who from Him, are in the good of love to Him, and as a moon before those who are in the good and truth of faith; hence it is that the sun signifies the good of love, and the moon the good and truth of faith. That sun, that moon, and those stars, were seen by John, as is evident from the fact of his being in the spirit when he saw them. That the Lord appears as a sun and as a moon in the angelic heavens may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell 116-125). It is from appearance that those things are said to have been smitten, for when the good of love, and the good and truth of faith are no longer with man, they appear to him to have, as it were, no existence and to have perished; and the Word in the sense of the letter is written according to appearances.
Joel 3
1
For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem,
2
I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land.
3
And they have cast lots for my people; and have given a boy for an harlot, and sold a girl for wine, that they might drink.
4
Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre, and Zidon, and all the coasts of Palestine? will ye render me a recompence? and if ye recompence me, swiftly and speedily will I return your recompence upon your own head;
5
Because ye have taken my silver and my gold, and have carried into your temples my goodly pleasant things:
6
The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have ye sold unto the Grecians, that ye might remove them far from their border.
7
Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head:
8
And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it.
9
Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up:
10
Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong.
11
Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD.
12
Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round about.
13
Put ye in the sickle, for the harvest is ripe: come, get you down; for the press is full, the fats overflow; for their wickedness is great.
14
Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.
15
The sun and the moon shall be darkened, and the stars shall withdraw their shining.
16
The LORD also shall roar out of Zion, and utter his voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake: but The LORD will be the hope of his people, and the strength of the children of Israel.
17
So shall ye know that I am the LORD your God dwelling in Zion, my holy mountain: then shall Jerusalem be holy, and there shall no strangers pass through her any more.
18
And it shall come to pass in that day, that the mountains shall drop down new wine, and the hills shall flow with milk, and all the rivers of Judah shall flow with waters, and a fountain shall come forth of the house of the LORD, and shall water the valley of Shittim.
19
Egypt shall be a desolation, and Edom shall be a desolate wilderness, for the violence against the children of Judah, because they have shed innocent blood in their land.
20
But Judah shall dwell for ever, and Jerusalem from generation to generation.
21
For I will cleanse their blood that I have not cleansed: for the LORD dwelleth in Zion.
