519.启11:15.“第七位天使吹号”表完结之后，主及其国度到来之时，对教会状态的审查和显明。“吹号”表示教会完结之后，主及其国度到来之时，审查并显明教会的状态。原因在于，“第七位天使吹号”就表示这一点；因为前六位天使和他们吹号表示审查并显明教会完结时的状态，这一点从前一章明显看出来，那里只论述了它的完结；但现在论述的是教会完结之后的状态，也就是主及其国度的到来，这一点从本节接下来和之后的经文明显看出来：
第七位天使吹号，天上就有大声音说，世上的国成了我们主和主基督的，祂要掌权，世世无穷。（启示录11:15）
这种显明之所以通过“第七位天使吹号”来实现，是因为“七”和“一周”所表相同，一周的前六天是劳碌、属于人的日子，第七日是神圣的，是主的。完结是指教会不再有任何教义的真理和生活的良善，因而结局已经到来之时的荒废（参看658，750节）；由于这时主及其国度的到来，故马太福音（24:3）就论到“世代的末了”和“主的到来”这两件事，还在这一章对它们作出预言。
519. Then the seventh angel sounded. (11:15) This symbolizes an examination and exposure of the state of the church after its end, at the time of the Lord's advent and the advent of His kingdom.
To sound the trumpet means, symbolically, to explore and expose the state of the church after its end, at the time of the Lord's advent and the advent of His kingdom. That is because the seventh angel's sounding has this symbolic meaning. For the first six angels and their sounding their trumpets symbolized the examinations and exposures of the church at its end, as is clear from the preceding chapter, where the whole subject is the church at its end. But the subject now is the state of the church after its end, or the Lord's advent and the advent of His kingdom, and this is apparent from the particulars that come next in this and the following verses. In this verse:
Then the seventh angel sounded, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, "The kingdoms of this world have become the kingdoms of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever!"
And so on. The seventh angel's sounding causes the aforesaid exposure because the number seven has the same symbolic meaning as a week, in which six days are days of labor and belong to man, while the seventh is holy and is the Lord's.
By the church's end we mean its ruination, when there is no more doctrinal truth or goodness of life left in it, thus when it has reached its final state (see nos. 658, 750). And because that is the time of the Lord's advent and the advent of His kingdom, therefore both the end of the age and the Lord's coming are mentioned in Matthew 24:3, and both are also foretold in that chapter.
519. [verse 15] 'And the seventh angel sounded' signifies the examination and making manifest of the state of the Church after the consummation, when there is the coming of the Lord and His kingdom. By 'to sound with a trumpet' is signified to examine and make manifest the state of the Church after its consummation, when there is the coming of the Lord and His kingdom. This is because that is signified by 'the seventh angel' sounding; for by the six angels and their trumpets sounding were signified the examinations and manifestations of the state of the consummated Church, as is plain from the preceding chapter, where it treats solely of its consummation. But that now it treats of its state after the consummation, which is the coming of the Lord and His kingdom, is plain by virtue of the things that follow in this verse and afterwards. In this verse:
And the seventh angel sounded, and great voices were produced in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of the world have become our Lord's and His Christ's, and He shall reign for ages of ages, seq.
The reason why this making manifest is effected by means of the sounding of the seventh angel is because 'seven' signify the same as a week, and six days thereof are days of labour and of man's proprium, and the seventh is holy and the Lord's. That by the 'consummation' is understood the devastation of the Church when there is no longer what is true of doctrine and what is good of life there, thus when there is the end thereof, may be seen (658, 750); and because then is the coming of the Lord and His kingdom, therefore both 'the consummation of the age' and 'the coming of the Lord' are mentioned (Matthew 24:3), and there is also a prediction of both in that chapter.
519. Verse 15. And the seventh angel sounded, signifies the exploration and manifestation of the state of the church after the consummation, when the coming of the Lord and of His kingdom takes place. By "sounding with a trumpet" is signified to explore and make manifest the state of the church after its consummation, when the coming of the Lord and of His kingdom takes place. The reason is, because this is signified by "the seventh angel sounding;" for by the six angels and their trumpets sounding, were signified explorations and manifestations of the state of the consummated church, as appears from the foregoing chapter, where its consummation only is treated of; but that now its state after consummation, which is the coming of the Lord and of His kingdom, is treated of, appears from what follows in this verse, and afterwards in this verse:
And the seventh angel sounded, and there were great voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of the world are become our Lord's and His Christ's, and He shall reign for ages of ages, (Revelation 11:15).
The reason why this manifestation is effected by "the sounding of the seventh angel," is, because "seven" signifies the same as a week, and six days of the week are days of labor, and of what belongs to man, and the seventh is holy and the Lord's. That by consummation is meant the devastation of the church when there is no longer any truth of doctrine and good of life therein, thus when its end has come, may be seen, (658, 750); and because then is the coming of the Lord and of His kingdom, therefore both "the consummation of the age" and "the coming of the Lord" are spoken of in Matthew 24:3, and they are both also foretold in that chapter.
519. (Vers. 15.) "Et septimus Angelus clanxit," significat explorationem et manifestationem status Ecclesiae post consummationem, quando Adventus Domini et Regni Ipsius. -
Per "clangere tuba" significatur explorare et manifestare statum Ecclesiae post consummationem ejus, quando Adventus Domini et Regni Ipsius. Causa est quia id per "septimum Angelum clangentem" significatur; per sex enim Angelos et illorum tubas clangentes, significatae sunt explorationes et manifestationes status Ecclesiae consummatae, ut patet a capite praecedente, ubi solum de consummatione ejus agitur; at quod nunc de statu ejus post consummationem, qui est Adventus Domini et Regni Ipsius, patet ex his quae sequuntur in hoc versu et postea; in hoc versu, "Et septimus Angelus clanxit, et factae sunt voces magnae in Caelo, dicentes, Facta sunt regna mundi Domini nostri et Christi Ipsius, et regnabit in saecula saeculorum," (et) seq. Causa quod per "clangorem septimi Angeli" haec manifestatio fiat, est quia "septem" simile significant quod septimana, et sex dies ejus sunt dies laboris et proprii hominis, et septimus est sanctus et Domini. Quod per consummationem intelligatur devastatio Ecclesiae quando non amplius est verum doctrinae et bonum vitae ibi, ita quando est finis ejus, videatur (658, 750); et quia tunc est Adventus Domini et Regni Ipsius, ideo utrumque, "Consummatio saeculi" et "Adventus Domini," dicitur Matthaeus 24:3, et quoque utrumque praedicitur in illo capite.