9603. One measure for all the curtains. That this signifies a like state of the matter, is evident from the signification of a “measure,” as being the state of a thing as to truth (see n. 3104); consequently “one measure for all the curtains” denotes a like state of the matter for all the truths. By a like state of the matter, when said concerning the truths of faith in the spiritual kingdom, is meant that they all look to good, and that through good they look to the Lord from whom they are; for the truths which do not look to good, and thus to the Lord, are not truths of faith, consequently are not the truths of the church or of heaven. The truths which look in another direction may indeed in their external form appear like truths, but they are not truths, because they are devoid of life; for the life of truth is good, and good is from the Lord, who alone is life. Truths which look in another direction are like the members of a body without a soul, which are not members of any body, because they are lifeless, and therefore of no use.

[2] That “measure” signifies the state of a thing as to truth, and also the state of a thing as to good, is evident from the passages in the Word that treat of the measurements of the New Jerusalem, and also of the new temple. By the “New” or “Holy Jerusalem” is signified the Lord’s New Church, in like manner by the temple; and therefore by their “measurements” are signified states as to truth and as to good; as in John:

The angel had a golden reed, to measure the holy Jerusalem, and the gates thereof, and the wall thereof; and he measured the city with the reed, twelve thousand furlongs. And he measured the wall thereof, a hundred forty and four cubits, which is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel (Revelation 21:15-17).

That the “measurements” here signify states as to good and truth is very manifest, for the “holy Jerusalem” denotes the Lord’s New Church; “the gates and the wall” denote the protecting truths of faith; “twelve thousand” denotes all truths and goods in the complex; likewise “a hundred forty and four” (n. 7973), for this number signifies the like as the number “twelve” because it arises from twelve multiplied by twelve (that “twelve” denotes all truths and goods in the complex, see n. 577, 2089, 2129, 2130, 3272, 3858, 3913); “the measure of a man, that is, of an angel” signifies that such is the state of the church and of heaven in respect to the goods of love and the truths of faith, for “a man” denotes the church, and “an angel,” heaven. Unless it were known what is signified by “the holy Jerusalem,” by its “gate” and its “wall,” by the number “twelve thousand furlongs,” and by “the measure of the wall being a hundred forty and four,” also what by “measure,” what by “a man,” and what by “an angel,” who would ever know what is meant by “the measure of the city being twelve thousand furlongs,” and “the measure of the wall a hundred forty and four cubits, the measure of a man, that is, of an angel”?

[3] The like is signified by “measurement” in Zechariah:

I lifted up mine eyes again and saw a man in whose hand was a measuring line. I said, Whither goest thou? He said, To measure Jerusalem, to see what is the breadth thereof, and what is the length thereof (Zech. 2:1-2).

Also in Ezekiel, where a man who had a measuring reed measured the houses of the new city, and also the temple, as to the outer walls, the inner walls, the gates, the foundations, the thresholds, the windows, the steps (Ezekiel 40:0-42:0). Unless these measurements signified the states of the matter in respect to truth and good, such things would never have been mentioned. By “measuring” in general is signified the state of truth and good; as in Jeremiah:

Thus said Jehovah, If the heavens above shall be measured, and the foundations of the earth searched out beneath, behold still will I disapprove the seed of Israel for all that they have done. Behold the days come in which the city shall be built to Jehovah. And the measuring line shall go out more fully over the hill Gareb, and shall turn about unto Goah (Jeremiah 31:37-39).

Who hath measured the waters in His fist, and meted out the heavens with the span, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance? (Isaiah 40:12).

4535. The preliminary sections of previous chapters - Chapter 26 onwards - explained what the Lord foretold about His Coming or THE CLOSE OF THE AGE. Frequently in those sections it has been shown that His Coming or the Close of the Age means the last period of the Church, which in the Word is called the Last Judgement. Those who do not look beyond the literal sense cannot know of the Last Judgement as anything else than the destruction of the world, the particular source for such an idea being the Book of Revelation. There it is said that [John] saw 'a new heaven and a new earth, for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away; and there was no more sea', and in addition that he saw 'the Holy City, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven', Revelation 21:1-2. Prophetical utterances in Isaiah, where similar predictions occur, are also a source of the same idea,

Behold, I am creating new heavens and a new earth; therefore the former things will not be remembered or come to mind. ¹ Be glad and rejoice for ever in the things I am creating; behold, I will create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a joy. Isaiah 65:17-18; 66:22.

[2] Those who do not look beyond the literal sense cannot conceive of anything else than this - that the whole sky together with this planet will be annihilated, and then the dead - for the first time - will rise again and dwell in the new heaven and on the new earth. But these places in the Word should not be understood in that way, as may be recognized from other places in the Word where the heavens and the earth are referred to. Those who have any belief in an internal sense can see plainly that 'a new heaven' and 'a new earth' are used to mean a new Church which takes over when the previous one passes away, 1733, 1850, 3355 (end), and that 'heaven' is the internal aspect of that new Church and 'earth' the external aspect of it.

[3] This last period of the previous Church and the first of the new one are also called the Close of the Age, about which the Lord has spoken in Matthew 24. They are called also His Coming, for at that time the Lord departs from the previous Church and comes to the new. The description of that period as the Close of the Age may also be seen from other places in the Word, as in Isaiah,

On that day a remnant will return, the remnant of Jacob, to the God of power. For though your people Israel will be as the sand of the sea, a remnant of it will return. The close has been determined, overflowing with righteousness, for the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth is bringing the whole earth to its close and to its determined end. Isaiah 10:20-23.

In the same prophet,

Now do not be derisive, lest your punishments increase, for a close and a cutting off I have heard from the Lord Jehovih Zebaoth over the whole earth. Isaiah 28:22.

In Jeremiah,

Thus said Jehovah, The whole earth will be a waste, yet I will not bring it to a close. Jeremiah 4:27.

In Zephaniah,

I will bring men into distress, and they will go as the blind, because they have sinned against Jehovah; and their blood will be poured out like dust, and their flesh like dung. For Jehovah will bring to a close, indeed to a hasty one, all the inhabitants of the earth. Zephaniah 1:17-18.

From each detail stated here it is evident that 'a close' means the last period of the Church and 'the earth' the Church itself.

[4] The reason why 'the earth (or land)' means the Church is that the land of Canaan was the land where the Church had existed since most ancient times, and later on where among the descendants of Jacob a representative of the Church existed. When this land is said to have been 'brought to a close' it is not the nation dwelling there that is meant but the holiness of worship which existed with the nation where the Church was. For the Word is spiritual; but the actual land is not spiritual, nor is the nation dwelling in it, only that which constitutes the Church there. For evidence that the land of Canaan was the land where the Church had existed from most ancient times, see 567, 3686, 4447, 4454, 4516, 4517; and this explains why 'the land' or 'the earth' in the Word means the Church, 566, 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 3355, 4447. From all this one may see what is meant in Isaiah by 'bringing the whole earth to a close', and in Zephaniah by 'bringing all the inhabitants of the earth to a hasty one'. It is well known that the Jewish nation which inhabited that land was not 'brought to a close' but that the holiness of worship among them was.

[5] This meaning of 'the close' is even clearer in Daniel,

Seventy weeks have been decreed concerning your people and your holy city to bring transgression to a close and to seal up sins and to atone for iniquity, and to bring in everlasting righteousness, and to seal up vision and prophet, and to anoint the Most Holy Place. In the middle of the week he will cause sacrifice and offering to cease. At length upon the bird of desolations will come desolation; until a close and a cutting off will it drop upon the devastation. Daniel 9:24, 27.

[6] From this one may now see that the close of the age - about which the disciples were asking when they said to the Lord 'What will be the sign of Your coming and of the close of the age?' Matthew 24:3 - does not mean anything else than the final period of the Church. The same is also meant by the Lord's words, which are the very last in the same gospel,

Jesus said to the disciples, Teaching them to observe ² all things whatever I have commanded you; and behold, I am with you at all times ³ even to the close of the age. Matthew 28:20.

The reason why the Lord said that He would be with the disciples even to the close of the age is that the Lord's twelve disciples are similar in meaning to the twelve tribes of Israel. That is to say, they mean all things of love and faith, and therefore all things of the Church, see 3354, 3488, 3858, as do the twelve tribes, 3858, 3926, 3939, 4060. The fact that the Church reaches its close when no charity exists there any longer, nor consequently any faith, has been shown several times already; and that within the Church at the present day, called the Christian Church, scarcely any trace of charity or consequently of faith survives there; and that the close of the age is accordingly now at hand, will in the Lord's Divine mercy be shown further on.

Mga talababa: