Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 10:5-6
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AR 474. Verse 5. And the angel whom I saw standing upon the sea and the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven, (verse 6), and sware by Him that liveth for ages of ages, signifies the attestation and testification of the Lord by Himself. By "the angel standing upon the sea and the earth" is meant the Lord (n. 470); by "lifting his hand up to heaven" is signified this attestation, that "there should be time no longer" (verse 6); by "swearing" is signified this testification, that "in the days of the voice of the seventh angel the mystery of God should be finished (verse 7); by " Him that liveth for ages of ages" is meant the Lord Himself, as in (Apoc. 1:18; 4:9, 10; 5:14; Daniel 4:34). That the Lord testifies by Himself will be seen presently. From what has been said, it is evident, that by these words, "and the angel whom I saw standing upon the sea and the earth, lifted up his hand to heaven, and sware by Him that liveth for ages of ages," is signified the attestation and testification of the Lord by Himself. That Jehovah swears, that is, testifies, by Himself, is evident from these passages:--

Jehovah, that is, the Lord, "swearing by Himself," signifies that the Divine truth testifies, for He is the Divine truth itself, and thus testifies from itself and by itself. Besides which, that "Jehovah swears" may also be seen in (Isaiah 14:24; 54:9; Psalms 89:3, 35; 95:11; 110:4; 132:11). It is said that "Jehovah hath sworn," because the church instituted among the sons of Israel was a representative church, and the Lord’s conjunction with the church was thence represented by a covenant, such as is made between two who swear to their compact; therefore, because an oath was a part of the covenant, it is said that "Jehovah sware;" by which, nevertheless, it is not meant that He sware, but that the Divine truth testifies it. That an oath was a part of a covenant, appears from these passages:--I have sworn unto thee, and entered into a covenant, and thou shouldest be Mine (Ezek. 16:8).

As a covenant was a representative of the conjunction of the Lord with the church, and, reciprocally, of the church with the Lord; and as the oath was a part of the covenant, and man was to swear from the truth therein, thus also by it, therefore the sons of Israel were permitted to swear by Jehovah, and thus by the Divine truth (Exodus 20:7; Leviticus 19:12; Deuteronomy 6:13; 10:20; Isaiah 48:1; 65:16; Jeremiah 4:2; Zechariah 5:4); but after the representatives of the church were abrogated, the oaths of a covenant were also abrogated by the Lord (Matthew 5:33-37; 23:16-22).

AR 475. Who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things that are therein, signifies who vivifies all that are in heaven and that are in the church, and each and everything in them. By "creating," in the natural sense, is signified to create; but, in the spiritual sense, by "creating" is signified to reform and regenerate (n. 254, 290), which is also to vivify. By "heaven" is meant heaven where the angels are; by "the earth and the sea" is signified the church; by "the earth," they who are in its internals, and by "the sea," they who are in its externals (n. 398, 470). By "the things that are therein," are signified each and all the things with them.

AR 476. That there should be time no longer, signifies that there cannot he any state of the church, nor any church, unless one God be acknowledged, and that the Lord is He. By "time" is signified state; and, because the church is here treated of, the state of the church is signified. Therefore "there shall be time no longer," signifies that there will not be any state of the church. That it also means that there is not any church, unless one God be acknowledged, and that the Lord is He, follows as a consequence. But what is the case at this day? That there is one God is not denied, but that the Lord is He is denied; and yet there is not one God, in whom is the Trinity at the same time, but the Lord. That the church is from Him, who is the Saviour and Redeemer, is not denied; but that He, as the Saviour and Redeemer, ought to be approached immediately, is denied. Hence it is evident, that the church is about to expire, unless a new one comes into existence, which acknowledges the Lord alone to be the God of heaven and earth, and, for this reason, immediately approaches Him (Matthew 28:18). Therefore these words, "there shall be time no longer," that is, there shall be no church, relate to what follows in this chapter (ver. 7); and this again, to what is written in chapter 11; where it is said there will be a church which will be from the Lord alone (Apoc. 11:15). By "time" is signified state, because in the spiritual world time is not measured by days, weeks, months, and years, but by states, which are progressions of the life of those who are there, from which they remember things past; on which subject see (HH n. 162-169), where time in heaven is treated of. The reason why the state of the church is here meant by "time," is because day and night, morning and evening, summer and winter, constitute time in this world, and when understood in the spiritual sense, they constitute the states of the church; therefore when these states no longer exist, there is no church; and there is then no church, when there is no longer any good and truth, thus when the light of truth is thick darkness, and the heat of good is cold; this is what is meant by "there is time no longer." Similar is meant by the following passages in the Word:--

"The morning" is the beginning of a new church (n. 151), therefore it is said "the time is come."

AR 477. Verse 7. But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel when he is about to sound, signifies the final exploration and manifestation of the state of the church, which must perish, unless the new one be established by the Lord. That by "sounding a trumpet" is signified to explore and manifest the state of life of those who are of the church, consequently the state of the church, may be seen in (n. 397); and seven angels sounded, by "the voice of the seventh angel" is signified the final exploration and manifestation, which is that the church is about to perish, unless the New one be established by the Lord; that it is about to perish, is meant by "there being time no longer" (n. 476), and that the New Church is to be established by the Lord, is meant by what now follows.

AR 478. The mystery of God shall be finished; as He hath declared to His servants the prophets, signifies that then it will appear that it is foretold in the Word of both Testaments, but has hitherto been hidden, that after the Last Judgment is executed upon those who have devastated the church, the Lord‘s kingdom will come. By "being finished" is signified to be fulfilled, to have an end, and then to appear. By "the mystery of God declared to the prophets," is signified that which is foretold by the Lord in the Word, and hitherto hidden. By "declaring" (evangelizing) is signified to announce the Lord’s advent and His kingdom, for the Gospel is a glad messenger. That this will come to pass, after the Last Judgment is executed upon those who have devastated the church, is also foretold in the Word, therefore this also is signified. From this it may appear, that all these are meant by these words. Something shall first be said of what is foretold in the Word of both Testaments, concerning the coming of the Lord, and His kingdom. In the Word of the Old Testament, which is called prophetic, in the spiritual sense, and also where this sense shines forth, in the natural sense, the Lord alone is treated of, that is to say, His advent in the fullness of time; which is, when there is no longer any good of charity and truth of faith in the church, which state of the church is called the consummation, devastation, desolation, and decision. It also treats of His combats with the hells and victories over them, which likewise constitute the Last Judgment executed by Him; and afterwards of the creation of a new heaven, and the establishment of a new church, which are the Lord‘s kingdom that is to come. These things are also treated of in the Word of the New Testament, which is called apostolic, and particularly in the Apocalypse. That it is the Lord’s kingdom, that "will be declared in the days of the voice of the seventh angel," appears plainly in chapter 11 from these things:--

AR 479. Verse 8. And the voice which I heard from heaven spake unto me again, saying, Take the little book, which is open in the hand of the angel who is standing upon the sea and upon the earth, signifies a command from heaven, that they should admit that doctrine concerning the Lord, but that it should be made manifest by John, how it would be received in the church, before they who are meant by "the dragon," "the beast," and "the false prophet" are removed. By "the voice which he heard from heaven" now again speaking with him, is meant the voice which said to him to seal up the things which the seven thunders uttered, and not to write them (verse 4), by which is signified that the doctrine concerning the Lord would not be received till after they who are meant by "the dragon," "the beast," and "the false prophet," should be cast out of the world of spirits, be-cause there would be danger were it to be received before, as may be seen in (n. 473). That this is the case, is now made manifest by John, by his "eating up the little book," as presently follows. That by "the little book" is meant the doctrine concerning the Lord, may be seen (n. 469, 472); and that by "the angel standing upon the sea and upon the earth" is meant the Lord (n. 465, 470).

AR 480. Verse 9. And I went unto the angel, saying unto him, Give me the little book, signifies an inclination of the mind, with many in the church, to receive the doctrine. This is signified, because by John is here manifested how the doctrine concerning the Lord is received by many in the church, as just observed; an inclination of the mind with these to receive this doctrine is meant, because an inclination was apparent in John, in that he went and asked for it. As these things involve such a meaning, therefore John was first told to take the little book; he then went and asked for it; then the angel said that he would give it him, but that the little book would make his belly bitter; and lastly it is said that it was given him, and that it so came to pass; all these things being significative.

AR 481. And he said unto me, Take it and eat it up; and it shall make thy belly bitter, but in thy mouth it shall be sweet as honey, signifies that reception from acknowledgment that the Lord is the Saviour and Redeemer, is agreeable and pleasant, but that the acknowledgment that He alone is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, is disagreeable and difficult to receive by reason of falsifications. By "taking the little book," is signified to receive the doctrine concerning the Lord; by "eating it up," is signified to acknowledge it; by "making the belly bitter," is signified that it will be disagreeable and difficult from falsifications, for "bitter" signifies truth falsified (n. 411); by "being in the mouth sweet as honey," is signified that the beginning of its reception is agreeable and pleasant. These things that are now applied to that doctrine, which is meant by "the little book open in the hand of the angel" (n. 469, 472), signify that reception from acknowledgment that the Lord is the Saviour and Redeemer, is agreeable and pleasant; but that the acknowledgment that He alone is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, is disagreeable and difficult from falsifications. The falsifications, by which that doctrine is perceived as disagreeable and difficult are especially that the Lord is not acknowledged to be one with the Father, although He Himself so taught; they have not acknowledged the Lord‘s Human to be Divine, which, nevertheless, is the Son of God (Luke 1:35); and thus it may be said, that they have made God three, and the Lord two; besides the falsities continued from them: from these falsities flows faith alone, and faith alone afterwards confirms those falsities. That from these falsities, so great a bitterness and internal repugnance exists, that they cannot, after death, even name the Divine Human from acknowledgment in thought, may be seen in (n. 294).

AR 482. Verse 10. And I took the little book out of the angel’s hand and ate it up, and it was in my mouth sweet as honey, and when I had eaten it my belly was made bitter, signifies that so it came to pass, and was thus manifested what reception that doctrine would meet with, before they who are meant by "the dragon," "the beast," and "the false prophet," were removed. As this is a consequence of what was said above, it needs no further explanation. It is written that the prophet Ezekiel was also commanded:--

AR 483. Verse 11. And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again before many peoples, and nations, and tongues, and kings, signifies, that because it is so, the quality of those who are in faith alone must be further taught. That this is signified, appears from what follows, down to chapter 17, which treats of those who are in faith alone; and afterwards of the Roman Catholic religion, and then of the expulsion of the dragon, the beast, and the false prophet, into hell, and thus concerning the New Church, in which the Lord alone will be worshiped. To prophesy signifies to teach (n. 8, 133), therefore "to prophesy again" signifies to teach further; by "peoples" are signified those who are in the truths or the falsities of doctrine; and by "nations," those who are in the goods or the evils of life, as will be seen presently; by "tongues" are signified those who are exteriorly in them (n. 282); and by "kings" are signified those who are interiorly in them; for by "kings" are signified those who are in truths from good; and, in the opposite sense, those who are in falsities derived from evil, and, abstractly, truths from good or falsities from evil, as may be seen (n. 20, 664, 704, 720, 830, 921); and since they who are in interior falsities are specifically treated of in what follows, it is said, "and many kings," by whom are signified falsities of evil in abundance. "Peoples," "nations," "tongues," and "kings," are mentioned that all who are such in the church may be meant. John being told that "he must prophesy again," signifies that it is necessary to teach further what is the quality of those who are in faith alone, to the end that their falsities may be disclosed and thus abolished; in as much as no falsity is abolished before it is disclosed. That "peoples" signify those who are in truths or falsities of doctrine, and "nations" those who are in goods or in evils of life, may appear from many passages in the Word, where "peoples" and "nations" are mentioned; but in confirmation of this, only those passages shall be here adduced, where "peoples" and "nations" are mentioned together, from which this may be concluded, since in the Word in each and every thing there is a marriage of the Lord and the church, and thence a marriage of good and truth; and "peoples" relate to truth, and "nations" to good. That there is such a marriage in each and every thing of the Word, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture (Sacred n. 80-90). The passages in the Word are as follows:--