Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 14:4
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AR 620. Verse 4. These are they who were not defiled with women, for they are virgins, signifies that they had not adulterated the truths of the church, and defiled them with the falsities of faith, but that they had loved truths because they are truths. That "a woman" signifies the church from the affection of truth, and thence, in the opposite sense, the church from the affection of falsity, may be seen above (n. 434, 533), here the church from the affection of truth, because it is said "not defiled with women"; by "to be defiled with women," the same is signified as by to commit adultery and whoredom. That "to commit adultery and whoredom" signifies to adulterate and falsify the Word, may also be seen above (n. 134). "For they are virgins," signifies because they have loved truths because they are truths, thus from spiritual affection; the reason why these are meant by "virgins," is because "a virgin" signifies the church as a bride, who desires to be conjoined with the Lord, and to become a wife; and the church which desires to be conjoined with the Lord, loves truths because they are truths, for by truths, when one lives according to them, conjunction is effected. Hence it is that Israel, Zion, and Jerusalem, in the Word, are called "virgins" and "daughters"; for by "Israel," "Zion," and "Jerusalem," is signified the church. That all they who are such in the Lord’s church, whether they be virgins or young men, wives or husbands, boys or old men, girls or old women, are meant by "virgins," may appear from the Word, where virgins are mentioned, as "the virgin Israel" (Jer. 18:13; 31:4, 21; Amos 5:2; Joel 1:8). "The virgin daughter of Judah" (Lam. 1:15). "The virgin daughter of Zion" (2 Kings 19:21; Isa. 37:22; Lam. 1:4; 2:13). "The virgins of Jerusalem" (Lam. 2:10). "The virgin of My people" (Jer. 14:17). Therefore the Lord likened the church to "ten virgins" (Matt. 25:1, and following verses). And it is said in Jeremiah:--

I will build thee, and thou shalt be built, O virgin Israel, and shalt go forth in the dances of them that play (Jeremiah 31:4, 13).

And in David:--

They have seen Thy goings, O God, aven the goings of my God, my King, in the sanctuary; among them were the virgins playing with timbrels (Ps. 68:24, 25).

And again:--

Kings‘ daughters were among Thy precious ones, at Thy right hand did stand the queen in gold of Ophir; hear, O daughter, and see; so shall the king greatly desire thy beauty; and the daughter of Tyre shall bring a gift, the rich among the people shall entreat thy favor: the king’s daughter is all precious within; her clothing is of woven gold, she shall be brought unto the king in raiment of needle-work; the virgins her companions that follow her, shall enter into the king‘s palace (Ps. 45:9-15).

By "the king" in this passage is meant the Lord, by "the queen," the church as a wife, by "daughters" and "virgins," the affections of good and truth. Similar affections are signified by "virgins" in other parts of the Word, where mention is made at the same time of "young men," because "young men" signify truths, and "virgins" the affections thereof; as in the following passages:--

Behold, the days come, in which I will send a famine in the land, not a famine for bread, nor a thirst for water, but for hearing the words of Jehovah; in that day shall the beautiful virgins and the young men faint for thirst (Amos 8:11, 13).

Be thou ashamed, O Zidon; for the sea hath said, I travail not, nor bring forth, neither do I nourish young men, nor bring up virgins (Isa. 23:4).

The Lord hath trodden the virgin the daughter of Judah as a wind press: behold my sorrow, the virgins and the young men have gone into captivity (Lam. 1:4, 15, 18).

How great is His goodness and how great is His beauty; corn shall make the young men grow up and must the virgins (Zech. 9:17).

And the streets of the city shall be full of boys and girls playing in the streets thereof (Zech. 8:5).

The virgins of Jerusalem sit on the earth; to what shall I liken thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? my virgins and young men lie in the streets (Lam. 2:10, 13, 21; Jer. 51:20-23; Lam. 5:10-12; Ezek. 9:4, 6; Ps. 78:62-64; Deut. 32:25).

AR 621. These are they that follow the Lamb whithersoever Be goeth, signifies that they are conjoined with the Lord through love and faith in Him, because they have lived according to His commandments. That this is what is signified, is evident from these words of the Lord:--

He that doeth My commandments, he loveth Me, and I will love him, and will come to him, and make My abode with him (John 14:20-23).

And in another place:--

The shepherd of the sheep, when he putteth forth his own sheep, be goeth before them, and the sheep follow him, for they know his voice: My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me (John 10:4, 5, 27).

AR 622. These were bought from among men, signifies that they are such as were capable of being regenerated by the Lord, and thus redeemed in the world, as above (n. 619), where similar things are said.

AR 623. The first-fruits unto God and the Lamb, signifies the beginning of the Christian heaven, which acknowledges one God in whom there is the Trinity, and that the Lord is that God. By "first-fruits" is meant that which is born first, also what is first gathered, thus the beginning, in this case, the beginning of the New Heaven from Christians; by "God and the Lamb" is here meant, as above, the Lord as to the Divine itself from which are all things, and as to the Divine Human, and also as to the proceeding Divine, thus the one God in whom is the Trinity. Here something shall be said concerning the first fruits. In the Israelitish church it was commanded that:--

The first of thy ripe fruits, of all corn, oil, and must, of the fruits of trees, as also of the fleece, should be given to Jehovah as holy, and they were given by Jehovah to Aaron, and after him to the high priest (Exod. 22:29; 23:10; Num. 13:20; 15:17-22; 18:8-20; Deut. 18:4; 26:1).

And likewise, that:--

They should celebrate the feast of the first-fruits of harvest and of bread (Exod. 23:14-16, 19, 26; Lev. 23:9-15, 20-25; Num. 28:26-31).

The reason was, because "the first-fruits" signified that which is born first, and afterwards grows, as an infant grows up to a man, or as a young plant grows up to a tree, and hence they signified all the subsequent stages even to the completion of the thing, for all that is to follow exists in the first, as the man in the infant, and the tree in the tender shoot: and as this first exists before its successions, in like manner in heaven and in the church, therefore "the first-fruits" were holy unto the Lord, and "the feast of the first-fruits" was celebrated. (The like is signified by "first-fruits" in (Jer. 24:1, 2; Ezek. 20:40; Micah 7:1; Deut. 33:15, 21).

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