Αν

CHAPTER V

ND I saw in the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne a book written within and on the back, sealed up with seven seals.

2. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book, and to loose the seals thereof?

3. And no one was able, in heaven nor upon the earth nor under the earth, to open the book, neither to look thereon.

4. And I was weeping much, that no one was found worthy to open and read the book, neither to look thereon.

5. And one of the elders saith unto me, Weep not, behold, the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof.

6. And I saw, and behold, in the midst of the throne and of the four animals, and in the midst of the elders, a Lamb standing as if slain, having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent forth into all the earth.

7. And He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne.

8. And when He had taken the book, the four animals and the four-and-twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one harps, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints.

9. And they were singing a new song, saying, Worthy art Thou to take the book, and to open the seals thereof; for Thou wast slain, and didst redeem us to God in Thy blood, out of every tribe and tongue, and people and nation;

10. And Thou didst make us unto our God kings and priests: and we shall reign upon the earth.

II. And I saw, and I heard a voice of many angels round about the throne and the animals and the elders; and the number of them was myriads of myriads, and thousands of thousands;

12. Saying with a great voice, Worthy is the Lamb that hath been slain to receive the power, and riches, and wisdom, and honor, and glory, and blessing.

13. And every created thing that is in heaven, and on the earth, and under the earth, and those that are in the sea, and all that are in them, heard I saying, Unto Him that sitteth upon the throne and unto the Lamb be the blessing and the honor and the glory and the strength, unto the ages of the ages.

14. And the four animals said, Amen; and the four-and-twenty elders fell down and worshipped Him that liveth unto the of the ages.

ages

EXPOSITION.

VERSE I.

296. "And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne a book written

within and on the back, sealed up with seven seals."

1. "And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne" signifies the Lord in respect to omnipotence and omniscience [n. 297, 298]; "a book written within and on the back" signifies the state of life of all in heaven and on the earth, in general and in particular [n. 299]; "sealed up with seven seals" signifies altogether hidden [n. 300].

297. [Verse 1.] "And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne" signifies the Lord in respect to omnipotence and omniscience. This is evident from the signification of "right hand," as meaning, in reference to the Lord, omnipotence and also omniscience (of which presently); also from the signification of "Him that sat upon the throne," as meaning the Lord in respect to Divine good in heaven; for in general "throne" signifies heaven, in particular the spiritual heaven, and abstractly Divine truth going forth, from which heaven is, and by which judgment is effected (see above, n. 253). By "Him that sat upon the throne," and also by the Lamb," that took the book from Him that sat upon

the throne, the Lord is meant, because by "Him that sat upon the throne" the Lord in respect to Divine good is meant, and by "the Lamb" the Lord in respect to Divine truth There are two things that go forth from the Lord as the sun of heaven, namely, Divine good and Divine truth. Divine good from the Lord is called "the Father in the heavens," and is here meant by "Him that sat upon the throne;" and Divine truth from the Lord is called "the Son of man," but here "the Lamb." And because Divine good judges no one, but Divine truth judges, it is here said that "the Lamb took the book from Him that sat upon the throne." That Divine good judges no one, but Divine truth judges, is meant by the Lord's words in John:

"The Father doth not judge any one, but He hath given all judgment unto the Son;....because He is Son of man" (v. 22, 27).

"Father" means the Lord in respect to Divine good; “Son of man," the Lord in respect to Divine truth. Divine good "doth not judge any one," because it explores no one; but Divine truth judges, for it explores every one. Let it be remembered, further, that neither does the Lord Himself judge any one by the Divine truth that goes forth from Him, for this is so united to Divine good that they arc one; but the spirit-man judges himself; for it is the Divine truth received by himself that judges him; but because the appearance is that the Lord judges, it is said in the Word that all are judged by the Lord. This the Lord also teaches in John:

Jesus said, "If any man hear My words and yet believe not, I judge him not; for I have not come to judge the world but to save the world. He that rejecteth Me and receiveth not My words hath one that judgeth him; the Word 'hat I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day" (xii. 47, 48).

[2.] In respect to judgment, the case is this:-The Lord is present with all, and from Divine Love He wills to save all, and He turns and draws all towards Himself. Those who are in good and in truths therefrom yield, for they join themselves to Him, but those who are in evil and in falsities therefrom do not yield, but turn backwards from the Lord, and to turn backwards from the Lord is to turn from heaven to hell: for every spirit-man is either his own good with the truth therefrom, or his own evil with the falsity therefrom. He who is a good with the truth therefrom permits himself to be drawn by the Lord; but he who is an evil with the falsity therefrom does not permit himself to be drawn; he resists with all his strength and energy, for his will is in

accord with his love; this love is his breath and life; therefore his desire is towards those who are in a like love of evil. From this it can be seen that the Lord does not judge any one, but that Divine truth received judges to heaven those who have received Divine truth in the heart, that is, in love and to hell those who have not received Divine truth in the heart, but have denied it. This makes clear what is meant by the Lord's saying that "all judgment is given to the Son,.. because He is the Son of man," and elsewhere, that "He came not to judge the world but to save the world," and that "the Word which He has spoken is to judge man." [3.] These, however, are truths that do not fall into man's self-intelligence, for they are among the mysteries of the wisdom of angels. (But the matter is somewhat elucidated in Heaven and Hell, n. 545-551, under the heading, The Lord casts no one into Hell, but the Spirit casts himself thither.; That it is the Lord who is meant by "Him that sat upon the throne," and not another whom some distinguish from the Lord and call "God the Father," can be seen by any one from this, that the Divine that the Lord called "Father" was no other than His own Divine; for this took on the Human, consequently it was the Father of the Human; moreover, that this Divine is infinite, eternal, uncreate, omnipotent, God, Lord, in no way differing from the Divine itself that some distinguish from Him and call the Father, can be seen from the received faith called the Athanasian, where it is declared

That no one of them is greatest or least, and no one of them first or last, but they are altogether equal; and that as is one, so is the other, infinite, eternal, uncreate, omnipotent, God, Lord; and yet there are not three infinites, but one; not three eternals, but one; not three uncreates, but one; not three omnipotents, but one; not three Gods and Lords, but one.

These things have been said that it may be known that by "Him that sat upon the throne" and "the Lamb," also in what follows by "God" and "the Lamb," two distinct from each other are not meant; but that by the one Divine good is meant, and by the other Divine truth in heaven, both going forth from the Lord. That the Lord is meant by "Him that sat upon the throne" is clear also from all the particulars of chapter iv. preceding, where a throne and One sitting thereon are treated of (which may be seen explained, n. 258-295); and still further in Matthew:

"When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory" (xxv. 31; xix. 28, 29).