Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 18:20
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AR 790. Verse 20. Exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath judged your judgment upon her, signifies that the angels of heaven and the men of the church, who are in goods and truths from the Word, should rejoice in heart that those who are in the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion are removed and rejected. "Exult over her, O heaven," signifies that the angels of heaven should now rejoice in heart, for exultation is joy of the heart. "And ye holy apostles and prophets" signifies, and together with them the men of the church who are in the goods and truths from the Word. By "the apostles" those are signified who are in the goods and thence in the truths of the church from the Word, and abstractly the goods and thence the truths of the church from the Word (n. 79); and by "prophets" are signified truths from good from the Word (n. 8, 133), who are called holy, because "the apostles and prophets" as was said, signify abstractly the goods and truths of the Word, which in themselves are holy, because the Lord‘s (n. 586, 666). "For God hath judged your judgment upon her," signifies because they who are in the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion are removed and rejected. That no others are rejected, may be seen above (n. 786). The joy of the angels of heaven over the removal and rejection of those who are in the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion, is treated of in (Apoc. 19:1-9); here only that they should rejoice. But the angelic joy is not from their condemnation, but from the New Heaven and the New Church, and the salvation of the faithful; which things cannot be given before they are removed, which is done and has been done by the Last Judgment; on which subject something will be seen in the explanation of (Apoc. 19:7-9). From this it may be evident that "Exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath judged your judgment upon her," signifies that the angels of heaven and the men of the church, who are in goods and truths from the Word, should rejoice in heart, that they who are the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion are removed and rejected. Who cannot see that the apostles and prophets spoken of in the Word are not here meant? They were few, and not more excellent than others; but by them are meant all in the Lord’s church who are in goods and truths from the Word; as also by the twelve tribes of Israel, spoken of above (n. 349). By "the apostle Peter" the truth or faith of the church is meant; by "the apostle James," the charity of the church; and by "the apostle John," the works of charity of the men of the church.

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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