Spiritual Meaning of REVELATION 5:1
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AR 256. Verse 1. And I saw in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne a book, written within and on the back, signifies the Lord as to His Divine Itself from eternity, who has omnipotence and omniscience, and who is the Word; who also knows from Himself the state of the life of all in the heavens and on the earths, in every particular and in general. By "Him that sat on the throne" is meant the Lord as to His Divine, from which is His Human, for it follows that "the Lamb took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat on the throne" (verse 7), and by "the Lamb" is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human. By "the book written within and on the back" is meant the Word in every particular and in every general; by "within," in every particular, and by "on the back" in every general. By "within and on the back" is also meant the interior sense of the Word, which is spiritual, and its exterior sense, which is natural; by "right hand" is meant Himself as to omnipotence and omniscience, because the exploration of all in the heavens and on the earths, upon whom the Last Judgment is to be executed, and their separation, is treated of. The Lord, as the Word, knows the states of life of all in the heavens and on the earths from Himself, because He is the Divine truth itself, and the Divine truth itself knows all things from itself; but this is an arcanum, which is revealed in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom. That the Lord as to His Divine from eternity was the Word, that is, the Divine truth, is evident from these words in John:--

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and God was the Word (John 1:1).

And that the Lord as to His Human also was made " the Word," in the same:--

And the Word became flesh (John 1:14).

Hence it may appear what it means that the book was in the right hand of Him that sat on the throne, and that the Lamb took the book thence (verse 7). Since the Lord is the Word, and the Word is the Divine truth, which in general makes heaven and the church, and in particular each angel, that heaven may be in him, and man that the church may be in him; and because the Word is here meant by "the book," from which and according to which all are to be judged, therefore in many places occur the expressions, "to be written in the book," "to be judged from the book," "to be blotted out of the book," where the state of eternal life of anyone is treated of, as in these passages:--

The Ancient of Days did sit in judgment, and the books were opened (Dan. 7:10).

Every people shall be delivered that shall be found written in the book (Dan. 12:1).

My bone was not hid from Thee, in Thy book all my days were written, not one of them is wanting (Ps. 139:15, 16).

Moses said, blot me, I pray thee, out of the book which Thou hast written. And Jehovah said, whosoever hath sinned against Me will I blot out of the book (Exod. 32:32, 33).

Let them be blotted out of the book of Life, and not be written with the just (Ps. 69:28).

I saw that the books were opened, and another book was opened, which is the book of Life, and the dead were judged according to those things which were written in the book according to their works, and whosoever was not found written in the book of Life, was cast into the lake of fire (Apoc. 20:12, 15).

None shall enter into the New Jerusalem, but them that are written in the Lamb‘s book of Life (Apoc. 21:27).

All shall adore the beast whose names are not written in the Lamb’s book of Life (Apoc. 13:8; 17:8).

That by "the book" is meant the Word, in David:--

In the volume of the book it is written of me (Ps. 40:7).

And in Ezekiel:--

I saw, and behold a hand sent forth unto me, and in it the volume of a book, written before and behind (Ezekiel 2:9, 10).

The book of the words of Isaiah (Luke 3:4).

The book of Psalms (Luke 20:42.)

AR 257. Sealed with seven seals, signifies that it is altogether hidden from angel and man. That "to be sealed with a seal" signifies to be hidden is evident, hence "to be sealed with seven seals" signifies to be altogether hidden, for "seven" signifies all (n. 10), and therefore altogether; that it was altogether hidden from angel and man, is presently said in these words:--

And no one in heaven, nor on earth, neither under the earth, was able to open and read the book, neither to look thereon (Rev. 5:3, 4).

Such is the Word to all to whom the Lamb, that is, the Lord, does not open it. Here, because the exploration of all before the Last Judgment is treated of, it is the states of life of all in general and in particular, which are altogether hidden.

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