Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 11:18
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AR 524. Verse 18. And the nations were angry, signifies those who were in faith alone, and thence in evils of life, that they were enraged, and infested those who are against their faith. By "the nations" are meant those who are in evils of life, and abstractly, evils of life (n. 147, 483); but here they who are in faith alone, because these are here treated of, and these are in evils of life, because their religion is that the law does not condemn them, provided they have faith that Christ took away its condemnation. "Their being angry" signifies not only that they were enraged, but also that they infested those who are against that faith, as may appear from what follows concerning "the dragon" (Apoc. 12:17).

AR 525. And Thy anger is come, and the time of judging the dead, signifies their destruction, and the Last Judgment upon those who have not any spiritual life. By "Thy anger" is signified the Last Judgment (n. 340), thus their destruction; the reason why this is signified by "the Lord‘s anger," is, because it seems to them as if the Lord cast them down into hell from anger, when nevertheless it is the wicked who cast themselves down. For it is like a malefactor who attributes his punishment to the law, or to the fire that burns, if he thrusts his hand in it, or like ascribing to a drawn sword in the hand of one defending himself, if he is thrust through, when he has run against its point. Thus it happens with everyone who is against the Lord, and, out of anger, rushes against those whom the Lord protects. By "the dead" who are to be judged, in the universal sense, are meant they who have died out of the world, but, in a proper sense, are meant they who have not any spiritual life; judgment being predicated of these (John 3:18; 5:24, 29). The reason is, because they are called "the living" who have spiritual life. Spiritual life is with those only who approach the Lord, and at the same shun evils as sins. They who have no spiritual life are meant in these passages:--

The reason these are meant by "the dead," is because spiritual death is meant; therefore also by "the slain" they are signified who are destroyed by that death (n. 321, 325), and in other places. But they who have died out of the world are meant by the dead in these passages:--

The reason is, because, by "the first death" there is meant natural death, which is from the world; and by "the second death" is meant spiritual death, which is damnation.

AR 526. And of giving reward to Thy servants the prophets, and to the saints, signifies the happiness of eternal life to those who are in truths of doctrine from the Word, and in a life according to them. By "reward" is signified the happiness of eternal life, as will be seen presently; by "prophets" are signified they who are in truths of doctrine from the Word (n. 8, 133); and by "saints" they who are in a life according to them (n. 173). By "reward" is here meant the happiness of eternal life, arising from the delight and pleasantness of Me love and affection of good and truth; for every affection of love has its accompanying delight and pleasantness, and the affection of the love of good and truth has a delight and pleasantness such as the angels of heaven have; and all affection continues with man after death. The reason is, because affection is of the love, and love is the life of man, therefore the life of everyone after death is such as his ruling love had been in the world; and the ruling love of truth and good is with those who have loved the truths of the Word, and have lived according to them. Nothing else but the delight of good and the pleasantness of truth is meant by "reward" in the following passages:--

AR 527. And to them that fear Thy name, the small and the great, signifies who love the things which are of the Lord in a lesser and in a greater degree. By "fearing the name of the Lord" is signified to love the things which are of the Lord; "to fear" signifies to love, and "the name of the Lord" signifies all things by which He is worshiped (n. 81); by "the small and the great" are signified they who fear the Lord in a lesser and a greater degree. The reason why "to fear" here signifies to love, is, because everyone who loves also fears to do evil to him whom he loves. Genuine love is not given without that fear. Therefore he who loves the Lord fears to do evils, because evils are contrary to Him, being contrary to His Divine laws in the Word, which are from Him and thus are Himself’ yea, they are contrary to His Divine essence, which is that He wills to save all, for He is the Saviour, and cannot save man unless man lives according to His laws and commandments. And, what is more, he who loves evils also loves to do evil to the Lord, yea to crucify Him. This lies inmostly hid in all evil, even among those who confess Him with their lips in the world. That it is so is unknown to men, but it is well known to the angels. That "to fear God" signifies to love the things which are of God, by doing them, and by not willing to do those which are against Him, appears from these passages:--

But the fear of God with the evil is not love, but the fear of bell.

AR 528. And to destroy them that destroy the earth, signifies the casting of those into hell who have destroyed the church. The reason why by "destroying them that destroy the earth," is signified the casting of those into hell who have destroyed the church, is, because by "the earth" the church is signified (n. 285), and because it follows after these things, "And the time of the dead is come that they should be judged," by which is signified the Last Judgment upon those who have no spiritual life (n. 525); thus here, by "the time is come of destroying them that destroy the earth," is signified the casting down into hell of those who have destroyed the church. The like is said of Lucifer, by whom Babylon is meant, in Isaiah:--

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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