is called God, and the Lamb upon the throne, where by God is meant the essential divinity of the Lord, which is called the Father, and by the Lamb the Divine Humanity, which is called the Son, n. 269, 291, consequently the Lord alone; this also appears from chap. vii. where it is said: "For the Lamb which is in the midst of the throne shall feed them," verse 17; and in Matthew : "When the Son of Man shall sit in the throne of his glory, judging the twelve tribes of Israel," xix. 28. "When the Son of Man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him, then shall he sit upon the throne of his glory," xxv. 31.

809." And a voice came out of the throne, saying, Praise our God, all ye his servants, and ye that fear him, signifies, influx from the Lord into heaven, and consequent unanimity among the angels, that all who are in the truths of faith and in the goods of love ought to worship the Lord as the only God of heaven. By the voice which came out of the throne, is signified influx from the Lord into heaven; the reason why it was from the Lord, is, because he who sat on the throne was the Lord, as above, n. 808; therefore by a voice proceeding from thence, is meant influx; for the Lord, inasmuch as he is above the heavens and appears to the angels as a sun, does not speak to the angels from thence, but flowsin or influences, and that which flows-in, the same is received in heaven and promulgated, wherefore that voice, although it came from the throne, was nevertheless heard by John from heaven, consequently from the angels there, and whatsoever the angels speak from heaven, is from the Lord. By praise our God, is signified that they were to worship the Lord as the only God of heaven; that to praise God is to worship him, will be seen below; by all his servants, are signified all who are in the truths of faith, n. 3, 380; by all that fear him, are signified all who are in the goods of love, n. 527, 628. That to praise God, signifies to worship him, and hence that the praise of him is the worship of him, is evident from many passages in the Word, of which a few only shall be adduced: "And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of

the heavenly host praising God," Luke ii. 13, 20. "The whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice," Luke xix. 37. "And were continually in the temple praising and blessing God," Luke xxiv. 53. "Publish ye, praise ye, and say, O Jehovah, save thy people," Jerem. xxxi. 7. "Praise Jehovah from the heavens: praise him in the heights. Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts; praise ye him, sun and moon; praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him ye heavens of heavens; let them praise the name of Jehovah, praise Jehovah from the earth. He hath also exalted the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints," Psalm cxlviii. 1—5, 7, 13, 14. Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings thou hast perfected praise!" Matt. xxi. 16. "All the people gave praise unto God," Luke xviii. 43; not to mention other passages, as Isaiah xlii. 8, lx. 18, Joel ii. 26, Psalm cxiii. i, 3, Psalm cxvii. 1. What is said in this verse does not relate to the things mentioned above concerning Babylon, but to what follows concerning the New Church to be established by the Lord, which is now about to be treated of.

910. "Both small and great," signifies, those who in a lesser and greater degree worship the Lord from the truths of faith and the goods of love. By small and great, in a natural sense, are meant those who are in a lesser or greater degree of dignity; but, in a spiritual sense, those who are in a lesser or greater degree of the worship of the Lord, consequently who worship the Lord more or less holily and fully from the truths of faith and goods of love; this is signified because it follows these words, Praise God all ye his servants and ye that fear him, whereby such things are signified, n. 809; see also above, n. 527, 604.

811. "And I heard as it were the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of many waters, and as the voice of mighty thunders, saying, Alleluia! for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth," signifies, the joy of the angels of the lowest heaven, of the angels of the middle heaven, and of the angels of the highest heaven, because the Lord

alone reigns in the church which is now about to come. By a voice is signified the joy of worship, confession, and celebration of the Lord, because it follows that they said, Alleluia, and afterwards, let us rejoice and be glad, and give glory unto him; by the voice of a great multitude, is signified the joy of the angels of the lowest heaven, as above, n. 803; by the voice of many waters, is signified the joy of the angels of the middle heaven, as above, n. 614; the reason why the joy of these is so heard, is, because many waters signify truths in abundance, n. 50, 614, 685, the angels of the middle heaven being in truths because they are in intelligence; by the voice of mighty thunders, is signified the joy of the angels of the supreme heaven; that the voice or speech of these is heard as thunder, may be seen above, n. 615; by saying, Alleluia, is signified the joy of worship, acknowledgment, and celebration of the Lord, as above, n. 803; for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth, signifies, because the Lord alone reigns, for the Lord is called the omnipotent, Apoc. i. 8, iv. 8, xi. 17, xv. 3, xvi. 13, 14, xix. 15, xxi. 22; where the explanations may be seen at the same time. That these things are said of the New Church about to be established by the Lord, is evident from the three next verses, in which it is said, "For the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready; also, "Blessed are they who are called to the marriagesupper of the Lamb. This is the cause of the joy of all the heavens, which is described in this and the next verse.

812. "Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honor to him, for the marriage of the Lamb is come," signifies, joy of soul and heart, and consequent glorification of the Lord, because from henceforth a full marriage of him. with the church is effected. To be glad and rejoice, signifies, joy of soul and heart; joy of soul is the joy of the understanding, or joy derived from the truths of faith; and joy of heart is the joy of the will, or joy derived from the good of love; these two expressions are made use of by reason of the marriage of truth and good in every particular of the Word, as above, n. 106, 689. To give honor to him, signifies, to acknowledge and confess that

all truth is from the Lord, n. 629, also to acknowledge, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, n. 693, here, therefore, it signifies to honor or glorify, because this includes both; for the marriage of the Lamb is come, signifies, because from henceforth there is a full marriage of the Lord with the church; that this may be signified he is called a Lamb, and by a Lamb is meant the Lord as to the Divine Humanity, n. 269, 291. That when the Lord's humanity is acknowledged to be divine, there is a full marriage of the Lord and the church, may appear almost without explanation; for it is well known in the reformed Christian world, that the church is a church by virtue of its marriage with the Lord, for the Lord is called the Lord of the vineyard, and the church is the vineyard; moreover the Lord is called the bridegroom and husband, and the church is called the bride and wife; that the Lord is called the bridegroom and the church the bride, may be seen above, n. 797; that there is then a full marriage of the Lord and the church, when his humanity is acknowledged to be divine, is evident: for in this case God the Father and he are acknowledged to be one like soul and body; and when this is acknowledged, the Father is not approached for the sake of the Son, but the Lord himself is approached, and through him God the Father, because the Father is in him as the soul is in the body, as was observed. Before the Lord's humanity is acknowledged to be divine, there is indeed a marriage of the Lord with the church, but only among those who approach the Lord, and think of his divinity, and not at all whether his humanity be divine or not; this the simple in faith and in heart do, but men of learning and erudition do so but seldom. Besides there cannot be given three husbands of one wife, nor three souls of one body, wherefore, unless one God is acknowledged in whom there is a Trinity, and that that God is the Lord, there can be no marriage. The reason why this marriage may take place from henceforth, is because it could not be fully effected until the Babylonians, and also the Philistines, by which latter they who profess faith alone are meant, were separated in the spiritual world by means of the last judgment; and since 8

VOL. III.

what goes before treats of their separation, it is said, "from henceforth." That there is a marriage of the church with the Lord, may appear from the following places: "Jesus said, Can the children of the bridechamber mourn, as long as the bridegroom is with them? Matt. ix. 15, Mark ii. 19. "The kingdom of heaven is like unto a certain king which made a marriage for his son. And he sent forth his servants to call them that were bidden to the wedding," Matt. xxii. 1-14. The kingdom of heaven is like unto ten virgins, which went forth to meet the bridegroom, of which the five that were ready went in with the bridegroom to the marriage, Matt. xxv. 1-12; that the Lord here meant himself is plain from the following verse, 13, where he says, "Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour when the Son of Man will come;" and in another place: "Let your loins be girded about, and your lights burning. And ye yourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord, when he will return from the wedding, Luke xii. 35, 36.

813. "And his wife bath made herself ready," signifies, that they who are to be of this church, which is the New Jerusalem, will be collected, initiated, and instructed. By a wife is signified the Lord's New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, as appears evidently from the following chapter, xxi., which has these words: "And I John saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband," verse 2. And in the same chapter: "And there came an angel unto me, saying, Come hither, I will show thee the bride, the Lamb's wife. And he showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God," verses 9, 10. By his wife making herself ready, is signified that they who are to be of that New Church of the Lord, will be collected, initiated, and instructed; and as this is signified by making herself ready, therefore it follows "That that wife was to be clothed in fine linen, clean and shining," by which is meant inauguration by instruction; and on this account also the white horse is afterwards mentioned, by which is signified, the understanding of the Word from the Lord for the inembers of the New Church.