are cast into hell, as is the case at the day of the last judgment, wherefore that day is called a day of wrath, and is also called wrath, and a day of vengeance; not that the Lord is angry and revengeful, but because they are angry with the Lord, and breathe vengeance against him; just as a malefactor, after sentence is passed, is angry with the law and breathes revenge against the judge, for the law is not angry, neither does the judge avenge. Revenge or vengeance is used in this sense in the following places: "For the day of vengeance is in mine heart, and the year of my redeemed is come," Isaiah Ixiii. 4, speaking of the Lord and the last judgment. "For it is the day of Jehovah's vengeance, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion," Isaiah xxxiv. 8. "Behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompense; he will come and save you," Isaiah xxxv. 4. "For these be the days of vengeance, that all things which are written may be fulfilled," Luke xxi. 22, speaking of the consummation of the age, or of the last judgment. "The spirit of the Lord Jehovah is upon me; to proclain the acceptable year of Jehovah, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn," Isaiah lxi. 2. "Shall not my soul be avenged on such a nation as this?" Jerem. v. 9, 29. "I will take vengeance (on Babylon) and I will not meet thee as a man, Isaiah xlvii. 3. "For his device is against Babylon, to destroy it, because it is the vengeance of Jehovah, the vengeance of his temple,” Jerem. li. 11, 36. "Rejoice, O ye nations, with his people, for he will avenge the blood of his servants, and will render vengeance to his adversaries, and will be merciful to his land, and to his people," Deut. xxxii. 43.

807. "And again they said, Alleluia! And her smoke rose up for ever and ever," signifies, thanksgiving and . celebration of the Lord, for joy that that profane religion is condemned to eternity. Their saying so a second time is owing to the various affection of joy, at being delivered from the infestation of those who are in that religion, and from the fear of their rising and infesting them again; that Alleluia signifies thanksgiving and celebration of the

Lord, see above, n. 803; by her smoke, is signified that religion as to its dire falsities, because falses from evil appear like smoke proceeding from a fire, n. 422. Fire, in that case, is self-love, n. 468, 494, 766; the smoke of burning, when said of Babylon, signifies, profanation, see n. 766, 767; to rise up for ever and ever, signifies, her condemnation to eternity.

808. “And the four-and-twenty elders, and the four animals fell down, and worshiped God who sat on the throne, saying, Amen, Alleluia," signifies, adoration of the Lord, as the God of heaven and earth, and judge of the universe, by the angels of the higher heavens, and confirmation of the thanksgiving, confession, and celebration of the Lord, by the angels of the lower heavens. To fall down and worship, signifies, humiliation, and in consequence of humiliation, adoration, as above, n. 370; by the four-and-twenty elders and four animals are signified the higher heavens, n. 369; by him who sat on the throne is meant the Lord as the God of heaven, and as judge of the universe, because a throne signiñes heaven and the kingdom there, n. 14, 221, 222, and likewise judgment, and here judgment because it relates to the judgment upon Babylon, treated of before; that he who sat on the throne is the Lord, will be seen below; by Amen, Alleluia, is signified confirmation of the thanksgiving, confession, and celebration offered up by the angels of the lower heavens; by Amen, is signified confirmation and consent from truth, n. 23, 28, 31, 61, 371, 375, and by Alleluia, is signified thanksgiving, confession, and celebration of the Lord, n. 803; that this is what was done by the angels of the lower heavens, appears from their speaking first and celebrating the Lord as the God of heaven, the judge and avenger, and saying, Alleluia, as is evident from verses 1 and 2, and from the explanation. above, n. 803, 804, the confirmation of those things by the angels of the superior heavens is signified by Amen, Alleluia.

That he who sat on the throne is the Lord, appears from the Apocalypse i. 4, ii. 8, iii. 21, iv. 2—6, 9, v. 13, vi. 16, vii. 9, 10, 11, xxii. 1, 3, in which places he'

is called God, and the Lamb upon the throne, where by God is meant the essential divinity of the Lord, which is called the Father, and by the Lamb the Divine Humanity, which is called the Son, n. 269, 291, consequently the Lord alone; this also appears from chap. vii. where it is said: "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them," verse 17; and in Matthew: "When the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, judging the twelve tribes of Israel," xix. 28. "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.

809. "And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him,' signifies, influx from the Lord into heaven, and consequent unanimity among the angels, that all who are in the truths of faith and in the goods of love ought to worship the Lord as the only God of heaven. By the voice which came out of the throne, is signified influx from the Lord into heaven; the reason why it was from the Lord, is, because he who sat on the throne was the Lord, as above, n. 808; therefore by a voice proceeding from thence, is meant influx; for the Lord, inasmuch as he is above the heavens and appears to the angels as a sun, does not speak to the angels from thence, but flowsin or influences, and that which flows-in, the same is received in heaven and promulgated, wherefore that voice, although it came from the throne, was nevertheless heard by John from heaven, consequently from the angels there, and whatsoever the angels speak from heaven, is from the Lord. By praise our God; is signified that they were to worship the Lord as the only God of heaven; that to praise God is to worship him, will be seen below; by all his servants, are signified all who are in the truths of faith, n. 3, 380; by all that fear him, are signified all who are in the goods of love, n. 527, 628. That to praise God, signifies to worship him, and hence that the praise of him is the worship of him, is evident from many passages in the Word, of which a few only shall be adduced: "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of

the heavenly host praising God," Luke ii. 13, 20. "The whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice," Luke xix. 37. “And were continually in the temple praising and blessing God," Luke xxiv. 53. "Publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Jehovah, save thy people," Jerem. xxxi. 7. " Praise. Jehovah from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts; praise ye him, sun and moon; praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him ye heavens of heavens; let them praise the name of Jehovah, praise Jehovah from the earth. He hath also exalted the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints," Psalm cxlviii. 1-5, 7, 13, 14. "Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise!" Matt. xxi. 16. "All the people gave praise unto God," Luke xviii. 43; not to mention other passages, as Isaiah xlii. 8, lx. 18, Joel ii. 26, Psalm cxiii. 1, 3, Psalm cxvii. 1. What is said in this verse does not relate to the things mentioned above concerning Babylon, but to what follows concerning the New Church to be established by the Lord, which is now about to be treated of.

810. "Both small and great," signifies, those who in a lesser and greater degree worship the Lord from the truths of faith and the goods of love. By small and great, in a natural sense, are meant those who are in a lesser or greater degree of dignity; but, in a spiritual sense, those who are in a lesser or greater degree of the worship of the Lord, consequently who worship the Lord more or less holily and fully from the truths of faith and goods of love; this is signified because it follows these words, Praise God all ye his servants and ye that fear him, whereby such things are signified, n. 809; see also above, n. 527, 604.

811. “And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunders, saying, Alleluia! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth," signifies, the joy of the angels of the lowest heaven, of the angels of the middle heaven, and of the angels of the highest heaven, because the Lord

alone reigns in the church which is now about to come. By a voice is signified the joy of worship, confession, and celebration of the Lord, because it follows that they said, Alleluia, and afterwards, let us rejoice and be glad, and give glory unto him; by the voice of a great multitude, is signified the joy of the angels of the lowest heaven, as above, n. 803; by the voice of many waters, is signified the joy of the angels of the middle heaven, as above, n. 614; the reason why the joy of these is so heard, is, because many waters signify truths in abundance, n. 50, 614, 685, the angels of the middle heaven being in truths because they are in intelligence; by the voice of mighty thunders, is signified the joy of the angels of the supreme heaven; that the voice or speech of these is heard as thunder, may be seen above, n. 615; by saying, Alleluia, is signified the joy of worship, acknowledgment, and celebration of the Lord, as above, n. 803; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, signifies, because the Lord alone reigns, for the Lord is called the omnipotent, Apoc. i. 8, iv. 8, xi. 17, xv. 3, xvi. 13, 14, xix. 15, xxi. 22; where the explanations may be seen at the same time. That these things are said of the New Church about to be established by the Lord, is evident from the three next verses, in which it is said, "For the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready;" also, "Blessed are they who are called to the marriagesupper of the Lamb. This is the cause of the joy of all the heavens, which is described in this and the next verse.

812. "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come," signifies, joy of soul and heart, and consequent glorification of the Lord, because from henceforth a full marriage of him with the church is effected. To be glad and rejoice, signifies, joy of soul and heart; joy of soul is the joy of the understanding, or joy derived from the truths of faith; and joy of heart is the joy of the will, or joy derived from the good of love; these two expressions are made use of by reason of the marriage of truth and good in every particular of the Word, as above, n. 106, 689. To give honor to him, signifies, to acknowledge and confess that