Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 11:4
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AR 493. Verse 4. These are the two olive-trees, and the two lampstands which are standing before the God of the earth, signifies love and intelligence, or charity and faith, both from the Lord with them. By "an olive-tree" is signified love and charity, of which presently; and by "lampstands" is signified enlightenment in truths (n. 43), and thence intelligence and faith, because intelligence is from enlightenment in truths, and faith is from this. By "standing before God" is signified to hear and do what He commands (n. 366), here, therefore, that these two are with them from the Lord, who is the God of the earth, that is, with those who are in the two essentials of the New Church, spoken of above; from which it is plain, that by the two witnesses being "two olive-trees and two lampstands," is signified that they were love and intelligence, or charity and faith, for these two make the church; love and charity its life, and intelligence and faith its doctrine. An olive signifies love and charity, because the olive-tree signifies the celestial church, and thence "the olive," which is its fruit, signifies celestial love, which love is love to the Lord; hence it is that this love is also signified by the oil, by which all the holy things of the church were anointed. The oil, which was called the oil of holiness, was:--

From olives mixed with aromatics (Exod. 30:23, 24).

And also:--

The lamps of the lampstand in the tabernacle were made to burn every evening from olive oil (Exod. 27:20, 21; Lev. 24:2).

"An olive-tree" and "olives" have a like signification in Zechariah:--

There were two olive-trees near the lampstand, one on the right side of the bowl, and the other on its left, and two olive berries: these are the two sons of the olive-tree standing before the Lord of the whole earth (Zechariah 4:3, 11, 12, 14).

In David:--

I am like a green olive-tree in the house of God (Ps. 52:8).

And in Jeremiah:--

Jehovah called thy name a green olive-tree fair with beautiful fruit (Jer. 11:16, 17).

Since "Jerusalem" signified the church, therefore, also, many things that were in and about it signified such things as pertain to the church. Near it was also the Mount of Olives, which signified the Divine love, wherefore:--

Jesus in the day was teaching in the temple, and at night he went out, and passed the night in the Mount of Olives (Luke 21:37; 22:39; John 8:1).

And Jesus spoke with His disciples on that mount concerning the consummation of the age, and His coming at that time (Matt. 24:3; Mark 13:3).

And also He went from that mountain to Jerusalem, and suffered (Matt. 21:1; 26:30; Mark 11:1; 14:26; Luke 19:29, 37).

And this according to the prediction of Zechariah:--

His feet shall stand in that day upon the Mount of Olives, which is before Jerusalem on the east (Zechariah 14:4).

Because "the olive-tree" signified the celestial of the church, therefore:--

The cherubs in the midst of the temple of Jerusalem were made of the wood of the olive-tree; in like manner the doors of the oracle, and the posts (1 Kings 6:23-33).

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