Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 19:17
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AR 831. Verse 17.And I saw an angel standing in the sun, and He cried with a great voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, Come, and gather yourselves together to the supper of the great God, signifies the Lord from the Divine love and thence from Divine zeal calling and calling together all who are in the spiritual affection of truth, and who think of heaven, to the New Church, and to conjunction with Himself, and thus to eternal life. By "the angel standing in the sun" is meant the Lord in the Divine love; by "the angel" the Lord is meant, and by "the sun" His Divine love. By "crying with a great voice" is signified from Divine zeal; for a voice or influx from the Lord from the Divine love is from Divine zeal; for zeal is of love. By "the birds that By in the midst of heaven" are signified all who are in the spiritual affection of truth, and thence think of heaven. By "coming and being gathered together to the supper of the great God," is signified a calling and a calling together to the New Church and to conjunction with the Lord; and because eternal life is from conjunction with the Lord, therefore that is also signified. By crying "come" the calling is signified, and by "gather yourselves together" is signified the calling together. That the Lord is meant in the Word by "an angel," may be seen above (n. 5, 170, 258, 344, 465, 649, 657, 718); the more so here, as He was seen to stand in the sun; and no angel appears in the sun, for the Lord is the sun of the spiritual world; wherefore the Lord alone is there. That by "the sun," when speaking of the Lord, the Divine love is signified, may be seen (n. 53, 414). That by "crying with a great voice," when said of the Lord in the Divine love, is signified to speak or flow in from Divine zeal, is manifest; because the Divine zeal is of the Divine love, here for the salvation of men. That such things as are of the understanding and thence of the thought are signified by "birds," see above (n. 757); here they who are in the spiritual affection of truth, and think concerning heaven, since it is said, "the birds that fly in the midst of heaven:" and by "flying in the midst of heaven" is signified to observe, attend, and think (n. 245, 415). That the New Church, and thus conjunction with the Lord, are signified by "the supper of the great God," see (n. 816); where their supper is called "the marriage supper of the Lamb."

Author:  E. Swedenborg (1688-1772).

Design:  I.J. Thompson, Feb 2002.

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