Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 14:2
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AR 614. Verse 2. And I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, signifies the Lord speaking through the New Heaven from Divine truths. By "a voice from heaven" is signified a voice or speech from the Lord through heaven; for when a voice is heard from heaven, it is from the Lord; here, through the New Heaven of Christians, which is meant by "Mount Zion," upon which "the Lamb was seen standing, and with him a hundred forty-four thousand" (n. 612, 613); by "many waters" are signified Divine truths (n. 50). The like is said of the Lord speaking through heaven from Divine truths, in the following passages:--

The voice of the Son of man was heard as the voice of many waters (Apoc. 1:15).

And a voice from the throne, as the voice of many waters (Apoc. 19:6).

And the voice of the God of Israel as the voice of many waters (Ezek. 43:2).

The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters, Jehovah is upon many waters (Ps. 29:3).

The sound of the wings of the cherubim was like the sound of great waters (Ezek. 1:24).

By "the cherubim" is signified the Word (n. 239), thus Divine truth, from which the Lord speaks.

AR 615. And as the voice of great thunder, signifies the Lord speaking through the New Heaven from the Divine love. That "lightnings, thunders, and voices," signify enlightenment, perception, and instruction, may be seen above (n. 236); and that "the seven thunders speaking," signify the Lord speaking through the entire heaven (n. 472). The Lord, when He speaks through heaven, speaks from the third heaven through the second heaven, thus from Divine love through Divine wisdom, for the third heaven is in His Divine love, and the second heaven in His Divine wisdom. The Lord never speaks otherwise when He speaks from the higher heavens; and this is what is meant by "a voice as of many waters," and by "a voice of great thunder;" " many waters" are the Divine truths of the Divine wisdom, and "great thunder" is the Divine good of the Divine love.

AR 616. And I heard the voice of harpers harping with their harps, signifies confession of the Lord from joy of heart by the spiritual angels in the lower heavens. To harp upon the harp signifies to confess the Lord from spiritual truths, see above (n. 276); that this is from joy of heart follows; hence by "harpers" are signified spiritual angels. The reason why they are angels of the lower heavens, is because the voice of the Lord through the higher heavens was heard as "the voice of many waters," and as "the voice of great thunder" (n. 614, 615). There was heard "a voice of harpers harping upon harps," because sound or speech descending from the lower heavens is sometimes heard like the sound of harps; not that they are harping upon harps, but because the voice of confession of the Lord from joy of heart is so heard below.

REVELATION 14:2    previous  -  next  -  text  -  summary  -  Revelation  -  Full Page

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