Arcana Coelestia #8976
8976. 'And in the seventh he shall go out free, for nothing' means a state of strengthened truth without its works. This is clear from the meaning of 'the seventh year' as a state in which goodness and truth have been joined together ('the seventh year' is similar in meaning to the seventh day or the sabbath, by which goodness and truth joined together or the heavenly marriage is meant, thus a state of peace which comes after a state of servitude, see 8494, 8495, 8510, 8888, 8890, 8893), though here - since the subject is those imbued with truth and not with the complementary goodness of life - 'the seventh year' means a state of strengthened truth (the reason why this is meant is that with them goodness and truth are not joined together as they are with those who are imbued with the good of charity and who are meant in the representative sense by 'the children of Israel'; instead of those two joined together there is strengthened truth); and from the meaning of 'for nothing' as without their works, for when they endure labour and some conflict, the truth of faith with them is strengthened by the Lord without any works of theirs. The same thing is meant by 'for nothing' in John,
To him who thirsts I will give from the spring of the water of life for nothing. Revelation 21:6.
In the same book,
Let him who hears say, Come! And let him who thirsts come. And let him who wishes take the water of life for nothing. Revelation 22:17.
And in Isaiah,
Everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, I say, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Isaiah 55:1.
'Waters' stands for truths from the Word, 'wine' for the truth of good from there, and 'milk' the good of truth.
Revelation 20
1
And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand.
2
And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years,
3
And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season.
4
And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years.
5
But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection.
6
Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.
7
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison,
8
And shall go out to deceive the nations which are in the four quarters of the earth, Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle: the number of whom is as the sand of the sea.
9
And they went up on the breadth of the earth, and compassed the camp of the saints about, and the beloved city: and fire came down from God out of heaven, and devoured them.
10
And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever.
11
And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them.
12
And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
13
And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.
14
And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death.
15
And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.
