Spiritual Meaning of
Spiritual Meaning of |
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That voices which are thunders signify truths Divine that enlighten and perfect those who are in heaven, and that terrify and devastate those who are in hell, is plain from the following passages:--
There shall be joy of heart; as when one goeth with a pipe to come into the mountains of Jehovah, unto the Rock of Israel; then shall Jehovah cause the glory of His voice to be heard, and shall make His arm see rest; in the indignation of anger, and the Same of a devouring fire, in scattering, and in inundation, and in hail-stone. For by the voice of Jehovah shall Asshur be dismayed (Isa. 30:29-31);
here the voice of Jehovah denotes truth Divine, which enlightens and perfects those who are in good, and terrifies and devastates those who are in evil. In Joel:--
The earth quaked before Him, the sun and the moon were blackened, and the stars withdrew their shining; and Jehovah uttered His voice before His army, His camp is very great; for numberless is he that doeth His word; for the day of Jehovah is great and very terrible (Joel 2:10, 11);
where the meaning is similar.
[3] In the same:--
Jehovah shall roar from Zion, and shall utter His voice from Jerusalem; and the heavens and the earth shall shake; but Jehovah shall be a refuge for His people, and a stronghold to the sons of Israel (Joel 3:16).
Here in like manner the voice of Jehovah denotes truth Divine; that it is said to be from Jerusalem is because by Jerusalem is signified the Lord's spiritual kingdom, in which are they who are in good from truth, and in truth from good.
[4] In David:--
Jehovah thundered in the heavens, and the Most High uttered His voice, hail-stone and coals of fire; so that He sent cut His arrows and scattered them; and many thunderbolts, and troubled them (Ps. 18:13, 14);
to utter His voice, hail-stone, and coals of fire, denote the devastation of truth and good through falsities, and the evils of cupidities. In the same:--
The clouds dropped waters, the skies uttered a voice, Thine arrows also went abroad, the voice of Thy thunder into the world, the lightnings lightened the world (Ps. 77:17, 18);
a voice denotes truth Divine, which enlightens those who are of the church.
[5] In the same:--
The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters, the God of glory thundereth, even Jehovah upon great waters: the voice of Jehovah is in power: the voice of Jehovah is with honor: the voice of Jehovah breaketh the cedar, Jehovah hath broken in pieces the cedars of Lebanon: the voice of Jehovah cleaveth as flames of fire: the voice of Jehovah maketh the wilderness to tremble: the voice of Jehovah maketh the hinds to calve, and strippeth the forests (Ps. 29:3-9);
here the voice of Jehovah denotes truth Divine and its power, thus also the Word, because this is truth Divine.
[6] In John:--
A strong angel coming down cried with a great voice, and when he cried the seven thunders uttered their voices. I was about to write, but I heard a voice from heaven saying to me, Seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and write them not (Rev. 10:1, 3, 4);
voices denote truth Divine; thunders, those who carry it and bring it from heaven to earth. Everyone can see that by thunders and voices are signified Divine things, not thunders and sounds; and because they signify Divine things, and are called the voices of Jehovah, it is evident that they denote Divine truth. It was for this reason that when Jehovah descended upon Mount Sinai and promulgated Divine truth there were voices, lightnings, and thunders (Exod. 19:16; 20:18); and He spake out of the midst of the fire (Deut. 4:11, 12; 5:22-25).
from AC 7573
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| Author: E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). | Design: I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. | www.BibleMeanings.info |