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1188. And the light of a lamp shall shine in thee no more.- That this signifies that there will be nothing of the truth of heaven and of the church, appears from the signification of light, as denoting Divine Truth, concerning which see above (n. 955, 1067, 1159); from the signification of a lamp or candlestick, which denotes heaven and the church, concerning which see above (n. 62); and from the signification of shining no more, as denoting not to exist.
Continuation.- Let us take another example, as the case of a king, a prince, a consul, a governor, or an official, whose principal end is the love of rule, and the means every thing connected with their sway, and with the management and discharge of their office. The uses which these perform are not done for the sake of the good of the kingdom, the commonwealth, the country, society, or their fellow-citizens, but for the sake of the delight of ruling, thus for the sake of themselves. Real uses are not uses to them, but their uses administer to their pride; and they perform them for the sake of appearance and distinction, without any love for them; they extol them, and yet make light of them, just as a master does with his servants. I have seen such persons after their death, and have been astonished. They were devils among fiery devils; for the love of rule, when it is a principal end, is the very fire of hell.
[2] I have seen others also, whose love of rule was not their principal end, but the love of God and their neighbour, which is the love of uses; these were angels, to whom governments (dominia) in the heavens were given. From these cases, again, it is evident that eminence may be either a blessing or a curse; and that when a blessing it is from the Lord, but when a curse it is from the devil. The nature of the love of rule, when it is the principal end, may be seen by every man from that kingdom which is meant in the Word by Babel, in the fact that it has set its throne in the heavens above the Lord, by claiming all His power to itself. It has consequently abolished the Divine means of worship, which are from the Lord by means of the Word, and in their stead has established such as are demoniacal, consisting of adorations offered to men living and dead, to sepulchres, also to dead bodies, and to bones. That kingdom is described as Lucifer in Isaiah (14:4-24); those however who have exercised this dominion from the love of it are Lucifers, but not the rest.
1188. Verse 23. And the light of a lamp shall not shine in thee any more signifies nothing of the truth of heaven and the church. This is evident from the signification of "light," as being the Divine truth (See above, n. 955, 1067, 1159); also from the signification of "lamp" or "lampstand," as being heaven and the church (See n. 62; also from the signification of "not shining any more," as being not to exist.
(Continuation)
Take as another example a king, a prince, a magistrate, a governor, or an official, whose chief end is the love of rule, and whose means are all things belonging to their dominion, administration, and function. The uses they perform do not have the good of the kingdom, commonwealth, country, societies, and fellow- citizens, as their end, but delight in ruling, consequently self. The uses themselves are not to them uses, but minister to their pride. They perform uses for the sake of appearances and of distinction; they do not love them, but they commend and yet make light of them, just as a master does his servants. I have seen such after death, and have been amazed. They were devils among the burning; for when the love of rule is the chief end it is the very fire of hell.
[2] I have also seen others whose chief end was not love of rule, but love of God and the neighbor, which is the love of uses; these were angels to whom dominion in the heavens was granted. From all this again it is clear that eminence may be a blessing or may be a curse, and that eminence as a blessing is from the Lord, and eminence as a curse is from the devil. What the love of rule is when it is the chief end, anyone who is wise can see from the kingdom that is meant in the Word by "Babylon," that set its throne in the heavens above the Lord by claiming to itself all His authority; consequently it abrogated the Divine means of worship, which are from the Lord through the Word, and in their place instituted demoniacal means of worship, which are adorations of living and dead men, also of sepulchers, carcasses, and bones. That kingdom is described by "Lucifer" in Isaiah (Isaiah 14:4-24). But only those that have exercised that dominion from the love of it are Lucifers, not the rest.
1188. [Vers. 23.] "Et lux lucernae non lucebit in te amplius." - Quod significet quod nihil veri caeli et ecclesiae, constat ex significatione "lucis", quod sit Divinum Verum (de qua [supra] , n. 1
955, 1067, 1159); ex significatione "lucernae" seu "candelabri", quod sit caelum et ecclesia (de qua [supra] , n. 62) et ex significatione "non lucere amplius", quod sit non existere.
(Continuatio.)
Sit adhuc exemplum; rex, princeps, consul, praefectus, et officiarius, quibus finis principalis est amor imperandi, ac media sunt omnia dominationis, administrationis et functionis illorum: usus, quos praestant, non sunt propter bonum regni, reipublicae, patriae, societatum et concivium, sed propter jucundum imperii, ita propter se; ipsi usus non sunt illis usus, sed sunt fastus; praestant illos ut appareant, et per id emineant; nec amant illos, sed laudant et usque vilipendunt, prorsus sicut dominus suos servos. Vidi tales post mortem, et obstupui; erant diaboli inter ignitos; nam amor imperandi, dum est finis principalis, est ipse ignis inferni.
[2] Vidi etiam alios, quibus amor imperandi non fuit finis principalis, sed amor Dei et proximi, qui est amor usuum; illi erant angeli, quibus data sunt dominia in caelis. Ex his iterum patet quod eminentia possit esse benedictio, et quod possit esse maledictio; et quod eminentia ut benedictio sit a Domino, et quod eminentia ut maledictio sit a diabolo. Qualis amor imperandi est, quando est finis principalis, a quovis sapiente videri potest ex regno quod in Verbo intelligitur per "Babelem", quod thronum suum posuerit in caelis supra Dominum, vindicando sibi omnem Ipsius potestatem; inde abrogaverunt Divina media cultus, quae sunt ex Domino per Verbum, ac loco illorum instituerunt media cultus daemoniaca, quae sunt adorationes hominum viventium et mortuorum, tum sepulcrorum, cadaverum, et ossium. Illud describitur per
"Luciferum" apud Esaiam (cap. 14:4-24):
sed illi qui exercuerunt id dominium ex amore ejus sunt Luciferi, non reliqui.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.