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62. And being turned, I saw seven golden lampstands. That this signifies, the New Heaven and the New Church, which are in the good of love, is evident from the signification of turned to see, as denoting to understand from enlightenment (concerning which see what has just been said, n. 61); and from the signification of seven, as denoting all and what is full, and as being said of the holy things of heaven and the church (concerning this see above, n. 20, 24); from the signification of lampstands, as being the New Heaven and the New Church, as will be seen in what follows; and from the signification of gold, as being the good of love (respecting which, see Arcana Coelestia 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881). That the seven lampstands signify heaven and the church, is evident from the last verse of this chapter, where it is said, "The seven lampstands which thou sawest are the seven churches." That the seven churches signify all who belong to the church of the Lord, thus the church in general, may be seen above (n. 20); the reason why they also signify heaven, is, that heaven and the church make one. Heaven also is in those in whom the church is; the reason is, that the good of love and the good of faith constitute the church with man, and also constitute heaven with him, as with the angels; therefore those who, while in the world, had the church in them, that is to say, the goods and truths of the church, come into heaven after death. (That this is the case, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 12; and in the work, Heaven and Hell 57, 221-227.) The reason why the New Heaven and the New Church are here meant by the seven lampstands is, that these are ultimately treated of in the Apocalypse (as may be seen, chap. xxi.), and thus form the conclusion of all things therein; and since that which is ultimate is also the primary, therefore a prediction concerning them is presented in the beginning of that book.
In the Word it is also usual to mention those things in the first place which are done in the last, because intermediate things are included in them; for the primary thing, in the spiritual sense, is the end for which all the other things exist, inasmuch as the end is the primary and the ultimate, and all other things have respect to it (as may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 98).
[2] That a lampstand signifies heaven and the church, may be evident from the description of the lampstand which was in the tabernacle; for by the tabernacle was represented heaven in its whole extent; and by the lampstand therein the spiritual heaven, which is the second heaven (see Arcana Coelestia 1888, 9954; and by kings, above, n. 31.) The reason why the lampstands that were seen were of gold, was, that gold signifies the good of love, and all that proceeds from the Lord is from Divine love; wherefore the Divine of the Lord in the heavens is love to Him and love towards the neighbour, which is charity (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 13-19). This is the reason why the lampstands here mentioned, and also the lampstand lit the tabernacle, was of gold.
62. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, signifies a new heaven and a new church, which are in the good of love. This is evident from the signification of "having turned to see," as being to understand from illustration (See just before, n. The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 98).
[2] That "lampstand" signifies heaven and the church is evident from the description of the lampstand which was in the tabernacle, for by the tabernacle the whole heaven in the complex was represented; and by the lampstand therein, the spiritual heaven, which is the second heaven (See Arcana Coelestia (Revelation 2:5).
"To remove thy lampstand" is to take away from them heaven or the church. In Zechariah:
The angel said to the prophet, What seest thou? And I said, I have seen, and behold a lampstand all of gold, its bowl on the top of it, and its seven lamps thereon, with seven pipes to the lamps (Zechariah 4:2, 3).
Here Zerubbabel is treated of, who was to lay the foundation of the house of God, and to finish it. By Zerubbabel is represented the Lord, that He was about to come and restore heaven and the church: these are the "lampstands" and the holy truths there are "the seven lamps."
[3] Because a lampstand takes its representative meaning from the lamps, and the lamps from light, which in heaven is Divine truth, so the Lord is also called "a lamp," as in Revelation:
The holy Jerusalem hath no need of the sun, neither of the moon, to shine in it; the glory of God shall lighten 1it, and the Lamb is the lamp thereof (Arcana Coelestia 1888, 9954; and by "kings," n. 31, above.) The lampstands that were seen were of gold; because "gold" signifies the good of love, and all that proceeds from the Lord is from Divine love; consequently the Divine of the Lord in the heavens is love to Him and love towards the neighbor, which is charity (as may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 13-19). This is why the lampstand here, as well as the lampstand in the tabernacle, was of gold.
Footnotes:
1. The Greek has "did lighten," as also found in Apocalypse Revealed 897, 919, 940; though elsewhere we also find "will lighten" and "lightens."
62. "Et conversus vidi septem candelabra aurea." - Quod significet novum caelum et novam ecclesiam, quae in bono amoris, constat ex significatione "conversus videre", quod sit intelligere ex illustratione (de qua mox supra, n. 61); ex significatione "septem", quod sint plenum et omnes, et quod dicantur ubi agitur de sanctis quae caeli et ecclesiae sunt (de qua supra, n. 20, 24); ex significatione "candelabrorum", quod sint novum caelum et nova ecclesia (de qua sequitur); et ex significatione "auri" quod sit bonum amoris (de qua n. AC 113, 1551, 1552, 5658, 6914, 6917, 9510, 9874, 9881).
Quod "septem candelabra" significent caelum et ecclesiam, constat ex ultimo Versu hujus capitis, ubi dicitur, "Septem candelabra quae vidisti septem Ecclesiae sunt." Quod "septem Ecclesiae" significent omnes qui ab ecclesia Domini sunt, ita ecclesiam in communi, videatur supra (n. 20); quod etiam caelum, est quia caelum et ecclesia unum faciunt; etiam in illis in quibus ecclesia est, caelum est: causa est, quia bonum amoris et fidei facit apud hominem ecclesiam, et facit apud illum sicut apud angelos caelum; quare illi in caelum veniunt post mortem, qui in se ecclesiam, hoc est, ecclesiae bona et vera, habuerunt in mundo. (Quod ita sit, videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 1
12, et in opere De Caelo et Inferno 57, 221-227.) Quod sit novum caelum et nova ecclesia, quae per "septem candelabra" hic intelliguntur, est quia de illis ultimo agitur in Apocalypsi (videatur caput 21), et sic faciunt conclusum omnium ibi; et quod ultimum est, hoc quia etiam primum est, ideo in principio sistitur praedictio de illis: in Verbo etiam solenne est memorare illa primo loco quae ultimo fiunt, quia intermedia concludunt illa; primum enim in spirituali sensu est finis propter quem, quoniam is est primus et ultimus, ac ad illum spectant reliqua (videatur in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 98).
[2] Quod "candelabrum" significet caelum et ecclesiam, constare potest ex descriptione candelabri quod fuit in Tabernaculo; per Tabernaculum enim repraesentabatur totum caelum in complexu, et per candelabrum ibi caelum spirituale, quod est caelum secundum (videatur n. 3478, 9457, 9481, 9485, 9548, 9577, 9783): quod ita sit, patet manifeste ex eo, quod Johannes viderit "in medio septem candelabrorum similem Filio hominis", et Filius hominis est Dominus quoad Divinum Humanum, ex quo Divinum Verum, quod est omne in omnibus caeli et ecclesiae. In caelo etiam spirituali apparent candelabra in multa magnificentia, per quae repraesentatur eorum caelum; illa quoque mihi videre datum est. Inde constare potest quid in Verbo per "candelabra" et per "lucernas" in sequentibus his locis in spirituali sensu intelligitur:
- In Apocalypsi,
"Removebo candelabrum tuum e loco suo, si non egeris paenitentiam" (2:5);
"removere candelabrum" est auferre caelum aut ecclesiam ab illis.
Apud Sachariam:
Angelus dixit ad Prophetam, "Quid tu vides? Cui dixi, Vidi, et ecce candelabrum auri totum, lecythus ejus super capite ejus, septemque lucernae ejus super eo, septena infundibula lucernis" (4:2 2
).
Agitur ibi de Serubabele, qui fundaturus domum Dei, et perfecturus illam; per quem repraesentatur Dominus, quod venturus et restauraturus caelum et ecclesiam, quae sunt "candelabrum", et sancta vera ibi sunt "septem lucernae."
[3] Quia candelabrum trahit repraesentativum a lucernis, et lucernae ex luce, quae in caelo est Divinum Verum, ideo Dominus quoque (vocatur) "Lucerna"; ut in Apocalypsi:
Sancta Hierosolyma "non opus habet sole neque luna, ut luceant in ea; gloria Dei 3
illustravit eam, et Lucerna ejus Agnus" ( 4
Apoc. 21:23; 22:5).
Inde etiam est quod David et reges post illum dicti fuerint "Lucernae Israelis" (2 Samuelis 21:17: 1 Regnum 11:36; 15:4: 2 Regnum 8:19);
per Davidem enim repraesentabatur Dominus quoad regium, similiter per reges Jehudae et Israelis. (Quod per Davidem, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 1888, 9954; et quod per reges, supra, n. 31.) Quod candelabra essent "aurea", quae visa sunt, erat causa quia "aurum" significat bonum amoris, et omne quod procedit a Domino est ex Divino Amore; quapropter Divinum Domini in caelis est amor in Ipsum et amor erga proximum qui est charitas (videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno, n 13-19): haec causa est quod "candelabrum", et quoque candelabrum in Tabernaculo, esset ex auro.
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.
3. The editors made a correction or note here.
4. The editors made a correction or note here.