85 all truth is from the Lord, n. 629, also to acknowledge, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, n. 693, here, therefore, it signifies to honor or glorify, because this includes both; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, signifies, because from henceforth there is a full marriage of the Lord with the church; that this may be signified he is called a Lamb, and by a Lamb is meant the Lord as to the Divine Humanity, n. 269, 291. That when the Lord's humanity is acknowledged to be divine, there is a full marriage of the Lord and the church, may appear almost without explanation; for it is well known in the reformed Christian world, that the church is a church by virtue of its marriage with the Lord, for the Lord is called the Lord of the vineyard, and the church is the vineyard; moreover the Lord is called the bridegroom and husband, and the church is called the bride and wife; that the Lord is called the bridegroom and the church the bride, may be seen above, n. 797; that there is then a full marriage of the Lord and the church, when his humanity is acknowledged to be divine, is evident: for in this case God the Father and he are acknowledged to be one like soul and body; and when this is acknowledged, the Father is not approached for the sake of the Son, but the Lord himself is approached, and through him God the Father, because the Father is in him as the soul is in the body, as was observed. Before the Lord's humanity is acknowledged to be divine, there is indeed a marriage of the Lord with the church, but only among those who approach the Lord, and think of his divinity, and not at all whether his humanity be divine or not; this the simple in faith and in heart do, but men of learning and erudition do so but seldom. Besides there cannot be given three husbands of one wife, nor three souls of one body, wherefore, unless one God is acknowledged in whom there is a Trinity, and that that God is the Lord, there can be no marriage. The reason why this marriage may take place from henceforth, is because it could not be fully effected until the Babylonians, and also the Philistines, by which latter they who profess faith alone are meant, were separated in the spiritual world by means of the last judgment; and since 8 VOL. III. son. what goes before treats of their separation, it is said, "from henceforth." That there is a marriage of the church with the Lord, may appear from the following places: "Jesus said, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? Matt. ix. 15, Mark ii. 19. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his And he sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding," Matt. xxii. 1-14. The kingdom of heaven is like unto ten virgins, which went forth to meet the bridegroom, of which the five that were ready went in with the bridegroom to the marriage, Matt. xxv. 1-12; that the Lord here meant himself is plain from the following verse, 13, where he says, "Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come;" and in another place: "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding, Luke xii. 35, 36. 813. "And his wife bath made herself ready," signifies, that they who are to be of this church, which is the New Jerusalem, will be collected, initiated, and instructed. By a wife is signified the Lord's New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, as appears evidently from the following chapter, xxi., which has these words: "And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband," verse 2. And in the same chapter: "And there came an angel unto me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God," verses 9, 10. By his wife making herself ready, is signified that they who are to be of that New Church of the Lord, will be colleeted, initiated, and instructed; and as this is signified by making herself ready, therefore it follows "That that wife was to be clothed in fine linen, clean and shining," by which is meant inauguration by instruction; and on this account also the white horse is afterwards mentioned, by which is signified, the understanding of the Word from the Lord for the inembers of the New Church. 814. "And to her it was granted that she should be arrayed in fine linen, clean and shining," signifies, that they who are to be of the Lord's New Church will be instructed in genuine and pure truths through the Word from the Lord. By it was granted her, is meant, it was given to the wife, by whom is signified the Lord's New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, as above, n. 812; to be arrayed, signifies, to be instructed in truths, because by garments is signified truths, n. 166, and by white garments, genuine truths, n. 212; by linen, clean and shin-ing, is signified what is bright by virtue of good, and pure by virtue of truths; and inasmuch as pure truth is not given from any other source than through the Word from the Lord, therefore this also is signified. The words clean and shining are used, because clean signifies what is exempt from evil, consequently what is bright by virtue of good, and shining signifies what is exempt from falsity, thus what is pure by reason of truth. By linen, or fine linen, is also signified genuine truth in the following places: "I clothed thee, O Jerusalem, with broidered work, and I girded thee about with fine linen, and I covered thee with silk. Thus wast thou decked with gold and silver, and thy raiment was of fine linen and silk," Ezek. xvi. 10, 13. "Fine linen with broidered work from Egypt, was that which covered thee," Ezek. xxvii. 7, speaking of Tyre, whereby is signified the church as to the knowledges of what is true and good. "And the armies which were in heaven followed him upon white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean," Apoc. xix. 13, 14. Joseph being arrayed in garments of fine linen by Pharaoh, Gen. xli. 42, has a similar signification. Truth derived from the Word among them, although not in them, is signified by the fine linen of Babylon, Apoc. xviii. 12, 16, and of the rich man, Luke xvi. 19. Fine linen is also called lawn or cotton [xylinum] wherefore by that also is signi fied genuine truth in the following passages in Moses: "And thou shalt embroider (for Aaron) a coat of fine linen, and thou shalt make the mitre of fine linen," Exod.· xxviii. 39. "And they made coats of fine linen for Aaron and for his sons," Exod. xxxix. 27, "Thou shalt make the tabernacle of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet," Exod. xxvi. 1, xxxvi. 8. Thou shalt make hangings for the court of fine twined linen, Exod. xxvii. 9, 18, xxxviii. 9, also the vail of the court with fine twined linen, Exod. xxxviii. 18. 815. "For the fine linen is the righteousness of the saints," signifies, that by truths from the Word, they who are of the Lord's church acquire the goods of life. By fine linen are signified genuine truths, which are truths from the Lord through the Word, as above, n. 814; by righteousness is signified good of life among those who are in truths, n. 668; by the saints are signified they who are of the Lord's church, n. 173, 586. The reason why justice or righteousness signifies good of life among those who are in truths, is, because no one can be called righteous or just, unless he lives according to truths; for in a natural sense he is called just who lives well according to civil and moral laws; but he is called just, in a spiritual sense, who lives well according to the divine laws, and the divine laws are truths from the Word; he who thinks himself just, and consequently in the good of life, without the aid of truths, according to which he may regulate his life, is much deceived; for man cannot be reformed and regenerated, and so made good, but by means of truths, and by a life according to them. Hence it is evident, that by fine linen is the righteousness of the saints, is signified, that by means of truths from the Word they who are of the Lord's church acquire goods of life. This manifestly appears from the case of the angels of heaven, who by how much the more they are in truths, and in a life according to them, by so much the whiter do the garments in which they are clothed appear: the reason is, because they are in a whiter light. 816. "And he saith unto me, Write, Blessed are they that are called unto the marriage-supper of the Lamb, signifies, a single angel sent from heaven to John, and talking with him concerning the Lord's New Church, and saying, that it would be given to know upon earth, that they have eternal life who receive the things which pertain to that church. That a single angel was sent from heaven to John, who said these things to him, may appear from the subsequent verse, where it is said, that John fell down at his feet to worship him, and that the angel answered, that he was his fellow-servant, therefore, that not he, but God was to be worshiped. That what John heard before was from heaven itself, and through many angels at once speaking from the Lord, is evident from the foregoing verses, 5, 6, 7, in which it is said, that a voice came out of the throne, and that a voice was heard as it were of a great multitude, and as of many waters, and as of mighty thunders, and of persons saying, Let us be glad and rejoice; this is said in the plural number, but now what is said is in the singular number, consequently by a single angel who was sent to him. But I will relate how the case is when angels talk with man; they never speak to him out of heaven, the voice which is heard from thence being from the Lord through heaven; but when angels are permitted to talk with man, they send out one of their society to be near him, through whom they talk with the man; he who is sent is the subject of many; and such a one it was who now talked with John; this was done to the intent that it might be made known upon earth, that the universal heaven acknowledges the Lord alone to be the God of heaven, and that he only is to be worshiped, also that a new church is to be established by the Lord upon earth, as it has been established in the heavens; for a church is first established by the Lord in the heavens, and afterwards through the heavens on the earths; this is the arcanum contained in this passage. To return, however, to the explanation: write, signifies, that he should commit this to posterity, n. 39, 63, 639, here that he should make these things known, this being what is meant by write. Blessed are they which are called to the marriage-supper of the Lamb, signifies, that they have life eternal who receive the things which are of the New Church; they are called blessed in whom there is life eternal, n. 639; by the marriage of the Lamb, is signified the New Church, which is in conjunction with the Lord, as above, n. 812; by those who are called, are meant all who |