但以理書 10
1
波斯王古列第三年，有事顯給稱為伯提沙撒的但以理。這事是真的，是指著大爭戰；但以理通達這事，明白這異象。
3
美味我沒有吃，酒肉沒有入我的口，也沒有用油抹我的身，直到滿了三個七日。
6
他身體如水蒼玉，面貌如閃電，眼目如火把，手和腳如光明的銅，說話的聲音如大眾的聲音。
7
這異象惟有我─但以理一人看見，同著我的人沒有看見。他們卻大大戰兢，逃跑隱藏，
8
只剩下我一人。我見了這大異象便渾身無力，面貌失色，毫無氣力。
11
他對我說：大蒙眷愛的但以理啊，要明白我與你所說的話，只管站起來，因為我現在奉差遣來到你這裡。他對我說這話，我便戰戰兢兢地立起來。
12
他就說：但以理啊，不要懼怕！因為從你第一日專心求明白將來的事，又在你神面前刻苦己心，你的言語已蒙應允；我是因你的言語而來。
13
但波斯國的魔君攔阻我二十一日。忽然有大君（就是天使長；二十一節同）中的一位米迦勒來幫助我，我就停留在波斯諸王那裡。
14
現在我來，要使你明白本國之民日後必遭遇的事，因為這異象關乎後來許多的日子。
16
不料，有一位像人的，摸我的嘴唇，我便開口向那站在我面前的說：我主啊，因見這異象，我大大愁苦，毫無氣力。
17
我主的僕人怎能與我主說話呢？我一見異象就渾身無力，毫無氣息。
18
有一位形狀像人的又摸我，使我有力量。
19
他說：大蒙眷愛的人哪，不要懼怕，願你平安！你總要堅強。他一向我說話，我便覺得有力量，說：我主請說，因你使我有力量。
Apocalypse Revealed #548
548. And war broke out in heaven: Michael and his angels fought with the dragon; and the dragon and its angels fought. (12:7) This symbolizes the falsities of the previous church fighting against the truths of the New Church.
A war symbolizes a spiritual war, which is one of falsity against truth and of truth against falsity (no. 500); for that is the only war that can take place in heaven, where this war is said to have broken out. Nor can a spiritual war take place in any heaven once it is formed by angels, but it took place in the previous heaven which passed away, as said in Revelation 21:1. Regarding that heaven, see our exposition of that verse. For that heaven passed away in consequence of the Last Judgment on the dragon and his angels, which is also the symbolic meaning of the dragon's being cast out and no place for it being found in heaven any longer, as said in the next verse.
To learn what falsities are meant by the dragon which will fight against the truths of the New Church, see no. 537 above.
Michael does not mean some archangel, and neither does Gabriel or Raphael, but ministries in heaven are meant. The ministry that is Michael there is performed by people who confirm from the Word that the Lord is God of heaven and earth, that God the Father and the Lord are one as soul and body are one, that one must live according to the Ten Commandments, and that a person then possesses charity and faith. Michael is mentioned also in Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1, and the same ministry is meant by him, as is apparent from chapters 9-11 there, and from the last verses in chapter 12.
Gabriel, on the other hand, means the ministry performed by people who teach from the Word that Jehovah came into the world and that the humanity that he took on there is the Son of God and Divine. The angel who announced this to Mary is accordingly called Gabriel (Luke 1:19, 26-35).
People who are engaged in these ministries are also called Michaels and Gabriels in heaven.
It may be seen in numbers 5, 65, 258, 342, 344, 415, 465 above that an angel in the highest sense means the Lord, and in a relative sense heaven, which is formed of angels, and also an angelic society. But here it means a ministry, because it is named; and in Daniel Michael is called a prince, 1 and a prince in the Word symbolizes a principal truth, and a king, truth itself (no. 20).
Примітки:
1. Daniel 10:13, 21; 12:1
