50. Was in the isle called Patmos. That this signifies revelation to the Gentiles, is evident from the signification of Patmos, as being the revelation contained in the Apocalypse. For all places mentioned in the Word signify things; and the things which they signify, are either from the worship there, from some memorable circumstance there enacted, or from their situation in or near the countries by which the religion of a nation is signified; hence Patmos signifies revelation, from the memorable fact that this revelation was there made to John. The reason why the revelation was made in an island is, that an island signifies a nation remote from true worship, but still desiring to be enlightened. That this is the signification of islands in the Word, will be evident from what follows. But something shall first be said concerning the circumstance that names of places in the Word signify things. All persons who are treated of in the Word, and also those by whom it was written, were led to places which had some signification, in order that all things might be significative of spiritual things; even the Lord Himself, for the same reason, went to similar places; as into Galilee, to Tyre and Sidon, to Jerusalem, and to the Mount of Olives there; and also, when an infant, He was carried into Egypt. That the case was the same with the prophets, and with several others mentioned in the historical Word, might be abundantly shown. For the same reason also, John was commanded to betake himself to the isle of Patmos, that the things which were to take place at the end of the church might be revealed there, because an isle signifies a nation about to receive the truths of doctrine. This isle is also in the Archipelago, where there are many other isles. This is why Greece in the Word signifies such nations, as thus in Dan. 8:21; 10:20; 11:2; John 12:20, 21; Mark 7:26, and following verses. (That all names of places in the Word signify things, may be seen, Arcana Coelestia 1224, 1264, 1876, 1888, 4310, 4442, 10329.)

[2] That isles signify nations about to embrace the true worship of God, is evident from the following passages in Isaiah:

"Glorify Jehovah in Urim, the name of the God of Israel in the isles of the sea" (24:15).

Again:

"He shall not extinguish, neither break to pieces, until he set judgment in the earth; and the isles shall hope in his law. Sing to Jehovah a new song, his praises, ye ends of the earth; ye that go down to the sea, the isles, and the inhabitants thereof, shall give glory to Jehovah, and shall announce his praise in the isles" (42:4, 10, 12).

Again:

"Listen, O isles, unto me, and hearken ye people from afar" (49:1).

Again:

"In me shall the islands hope, and upon mine arm shall they trust" (51:5).

Again:

"The islands shall trust in me, and the ships of Tarshish" (60:9).

In Jeremiah:

"Hear the words of Jehovah, O ye nations, and declare them in the islands from afar" (31:10).

And in Zephaniah:

Jehovah "will make lean all the gods of the land, that they may adore him, every one in his place; all the islands of the nations" (2:11).

And elsewhere, as in Isaiah 23:2, 6; 41:1, 5; 42:15; 66:19; Jerem. 2:10; 25:22; Ezekiel 27:3, 7, 15, 35. From these and other passages it is evident that isles signify the nations [or Gentiles], specifically as to the doctrine of truth, and elsewhere as to the doctrine of falsity; for most things in the Word have also opposite significations.

1888. To illustrate that the sense of the letter of the Word is representative of Divine arcana and is the receptacle of, and thus the storehouse containing, celestial and spiritual things which are the Lord's, let two examples be taken, which will consequently reveal the position with all else The first example shows that David is not used to mean David but the Lord, the second that names mean nothing other than real things. Of David the following is said in Ezekiel,

My servant David will be King over them, and they will all have one Shepherd. They will dwell in the land, they, and their sons, and their sons' sons even for ever. And David my servant will be their Prince for ever. Ezekiel 37:24-25.

And in Hosea,

The children of Israel will return and seek Jehovah their God, and David their king. Hosea 3:5.

These promises were written by prophets who lived later than David, yet it is explicitly stated by them that he 'will be' their king and prince. From this it may become clear to anyone that in the internal sense David means the Lord. The same applies in all other places, including the historical descriptions, where David is referred to by name.

[2] As regards the names of kingdoms, regions, cities, and men meaning real things, this becomes quite clear in the Prophets. Take this single example in Isaiah,

Thus said the Lord, Jehovih Zebaoth, Do not be afraid - O My people, inhabitant of Zion - of Asshur; he will smite you with a rod, and he will lift up the staff over you in the way of Egypt. Jehovah Zebaoth will lift up the scourge over him, as when Midian was smitten in the rock of Horeb, and his rod will be over the sea, and he will lift it up in the way of Egypt. He will come against Aiath; he will pass over into Migron; he will command his arms towards Michmash. They will cross the Mabarah. Geba will be a lodging-place for us. Hormah ¹ will tremble. Gibeah of Saul will flee. Make a noise with your voice, O daughter of Gallim. Hearken, O Laish. Wail, O Anathoth. Madmenah will wander about. The inhabitants of Gebim will gather themselves together. This very day he is in Nob to stay. The mountain of the daughter of Zion, the hill of Jerusalem, will shake her fist. He will cut down the entangled boughs of the wood with an axe, and Lebanon will fall by a majestic one. Isaiah 10:24, 26-34.

[3] These verses include little more than mere names, which would not make any sense at all if, without exception, those names did not mean real things; and if the mind remained fixed on those names, no acknowledgement that it was the Word of the Lord would ever be made. But who is going to believe that all those names in the internal sense contain arcana of heaven? Or that through them the state of people is described who endeavour by means of reasonings based on facts to penetrate the mysteries of faith? Or that by means of each name some particular aspect of that state is described? Or that those reasonings are dispersed by the Lord by means of the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith? That 'Asshur' means reasoning, which is the subject in these verses from Isaiah, becomes quite clear from what has been shown regarding 'Asshur' in 119, 1186; and that 'Egypt' means factual knowledge, from what has been shown in 1164, 1165, 1462. See these paragraphs and consider whether or not this is true. It is the same with all other names, and with individual expressions.

脚注: