Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 10:3
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AR 471. Verse 3. And cried with a great voice, as a lion roareth, signifies grievous lamentation that the church has been taken away from Him. That by "crying as a lion roareth," is signified grievous lamentation respecting the church, and that it has been taken away from Him, is evident from what is explained in the foregoing chapter, where the states of life of those who are of the church were explored and made manifest, which were lamentable; also from its being said in this chapter, that "the angel sware by Him that liveth for ages of ages, that there should be time no longer," by which is signified that there would be no church; and, in the following chapter, that "the beast, which came up out of the abyss, killed His two witnesses;" and especially from His not being acknowledged and approached, although He is the God of heaven and earth. Lamentation concerning these things is signified by "His roaring as a lion," for a lion roars when he sees his enemies and is assaulted by them, and when he sees his whelps and prey taken away; so does the Lord, comparatively, when He sees His church taken away from Him by devils. That this is what is signified by "roaring as a lion," may appear from these passages:--

As the lion roareth, and the young lion, over its prey, when plenty of shepherds go forth against him, so Jehovah Zebaoth cometh down to fight for Mount Zion (Isa. 31:4).

"The anger of Jehovah was kindled against His people, His roaring is like a lion’s, He roareth like the young lions, and He growleth and seizeth the prey; for, behold, darkness, anxiety, and the light is darkened in the ruins thereof (Isa. 5:25-30).

Jehovah shall roar from on high, and shall utter His voice from the habitation of His holiness; roaring He shall roar against His habitations (Jer. 25:30).

Jehovah shall roar out of Zion, and shall utter His voice out of Jerusalem (Joel 3:16).

I will not destroy Ephraim; they shall go after Jehovah; as a lion shall He roar, because He shall roar (Hosea. 11:9, 10).

The lion roareth, who shall not fear? the Lord Jehovah hath spoken who shall not prophesy (Amos 3:8)?

God roareth with His voice, He thundereth with the voice of His majesty (Job 37:4, 5).

That "roaring" signifies grievous lamentation is evident from these:--

My bones have become old throw my roaring all the day (Ps. 32:3).

I am feeble and broken; I have roared because of the roaring of my heart (Ps. 38:8).

My sighing is before my bread, and my roarings are poured out like water (Job 3:24).

AR 472. And when he cried, seven thunders uttered their voices, signifies that the Lord throughout the entire heaven disclosed what was in the little book. This signification is evident, because it presently follows, that he wished "to write what the seven thunders uttered," but was enjoined from heaven "to seal it up and not to write it;" and afterwards "to eat up the little book;" and that "in His mouth it was sweet as honey," but that "it made his belly bitter;" by which is signified that such things were in it as could not yet be received: the reason may be seen in the following article. But I will open what was in the little book. In the little book were those things which are contained in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem Concerning the Lord, from beginning to end, which are as follows:

That the whole Sacred Scripture is concerning the Lord, and that the Lord is the Word (L n. 1-7).

That by the Lord fulfilled all things of the law, means, that He fulfilled all things of the Word (L n. 8-11).

That the Lord came into the world to subdue the hells and glorify His Human, and that the passion of the cross was the last combat, by which He fully conquered the hells, and fully glorified His Human (L n. 12-14).

That the Lord, by the passion of the cross, did not take away sins, but that He bore them (L n. 15-17).

That the imputation of the Lord‘s merit is nothing else than the remission of sins after repentance (L n. 18).

That the Lord, as to His Divine Human, is called the Son of God, and, as to the Word, He is called the Son of man (L n. 19-28).

That the Lord made His Human Divine from the Divine in Himself, and thus He became one with the Father (L n. 29-36).

That the Lord is God Himself, from whom and concerning whom the Word is (L n. 37-44).

That there is one God, and that the Lord is that God (L n. 45).

That the Holy Spirit is the Divine proceeding from the Lord, and that it is the Lord Himself (L n. 46-54).

That the doctrine of the Athanasian faith agrees with the truth, if only by a Trinity of Persons is understood a Trinity of Person, which is in the Lord (L n. 55-61).

The reason why it is said that "the seven thunders uttered their voices," is, because what the Lord speaks, as it descends through the heavens into the lower parts, is heard as thunder; and because He speaks through the whole heaven at once, and thus fully, they are called "seven" thunders, for by "seven" are signified all, all things, and the whole (n. 10, 391); therefore also by "thunder" is signified instruction and the perception of truth (n. 236); here also disclosure and manifestation.

That a voice from heaven is heard as thunder, when from the Lord, is evident from these passages:--

Jesus said, Father, glorify Thy name: and there came forth a voice out of heaven, and said, I have glorified it, and I will glorify it: the multitude heard this as thunder (John 12:28-30).

God roareth with His voice, He thundereth with the voice of majesty (Job 37:4, 5).

Jehovah thundered out of heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice (2 Sam. 22:14).

I heard a voice out of heaven, as the voice of great thunder (Apoc. 14:2).

Thou calledst unto me, and I answered thee in secret thunder (Ps. 81:7).

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Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772). Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002. www.BibleMeanings.info