27.“地上的众支派都要因祂哀哭”表当教会不再有任何良善与真理的时候，这种事必会有。“地上的支派”表示教会的良善和真理，这一点可见于第七章的解读，那里论述了以色列的这十二支派。“哀哭”表示为它们死去而悲痛。主在马太福音中的话也是这个意思：
那些日子的灾难一过去，日头就变黑了，月亮也不放光，众星要从天上坠落；那时，人子的兆头要显现；那时，地上的众支派都要哀哭。（马太福音24:29-30）
这话论及时代的末了，就是教会的末了。“日头变黑”表示不再有任何爱与仁；“月亮不放光”表示不再有任何智慧与信仰；“众星要从天上坠落”表示不再有任何关于良善与真理的知识；“地上的众支派都要哀哭”表示不再有任何良善与真理；“灾难”表示教会的这种状态。
27. And all the tribes of the earth will wail... This symbolically means that this will be when there are no longer any goods and truths in the church.
We will see that the tribes of the earth symbolize the goods and truths of the church, in the explanation of chapter seven where we deal with the twelve tribes of Israel. Wailing symbolizes mourning that they are dead.
The declaration here has the same meaning as the Lord's words in Matthew:
...after the tribulation of those days the sun will be darkened, and the moon will not give its light, and the stars will fall from heaven... And then the sign of the Son of Man will appear..., and then all the tribes of the earth will mourn... (Matthew 24:29-30)
This He said regarding the end of the age, which is the final period of the church. The darkening of the sun means, symbolically, that there will no longer be any love and charity. The moon's not giving its light means, symbolically, that there will no longer be any intelligence and faith. The stars' falling from heaven means, symbolically, that there will no longer be any concepts of goods and truths. That all the tribes of the earth will mourn means, symbolically, that there will no longer be any goods and truths. Tribulation symbolizes the state of the church then.
27. 'And all the tribes of the land shall wail' signifies that this will be when there are no longer any goods and truths in the Church. That 'the tribes of the land' signify goods and truths of the Church will be seen in the Exposition of chapter Revelation 7, where it treats of the twelve 'tribes' of Israel. By 'to wail' is signified mourning on account of their being dead. By those things is understood something like what is meant by the Lord's words in Matthew:
After the affliction of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall down from heaven; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of Man, and then shall all the tribes of the land wail. Matthew 24:29-30.
These things [are said] of the consummation of the age, which is the end of the Church. 'The sun shall be darkened' signifies that love and charity are no more; 'the moon shall not give her light' signifies that intelligence and faith are no more; 'the stars shall fall down from heaven' signifies that the cognitions of good and truth are no more: 'all the tribes of the land shall wail' signifies that goods and truths are no more; the 'affliction' signifies that state of the Church.
27. And all the tribes of the earth shall wail, signifies that this will be when there are no longer any goods and truths in the church. That "the tribes of the earth" signify the goods and truths of the church, will be seen in the explanation of the seventh chapter, where the twelve tribes of Israel are treated of; "wailing" signifies lamentation that they are dead. The same is meant here as by the Lord's words in Matthew:
After the affliction of those days the sun shall be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven; and then shall appear the sign of the Son of man, and then shall all the tribes of the earth wail, (Matthew 24:29-30).
These things are said of the consummation of the age, which is the end of the church; "the sun shall be darkened," signifies that there is no longer any love and charity; "the moon shall not give her light," signifies that there is no longer any intelligence and faith; "the stars shall fall from heaven," signifies that there are no longer any knowledges of good and truth; "all the tribes of the earth shall wail," signifies that there are no longer any goods and truths; "affliction" signifies that state of the church.
27. "Et plangent omnes Tribus terrae," significat quod hoc erit, quando nulla bona et vera in Ecclesia amplius sunt. -Quod "Tribus terrae" significent bona et vera Ecclesiae, videbitur in Explicatione Capitis viimi, ubi de duodecim Tribubus Israelis agitur; per "plangere" significatur luctus quod mortua sint. Simile per illa intelligitur, quod per Domini verba apud Matthaeum:
"Post afflictionem dierum istorum Sol obscurabitur, et Luna non dabit lumen suum, et Stellae cadent de Caelo; et tunc apparebit signum Filii Hominis, et tunc Plangent omnes Tribus terrae," (24:29-30);
haec de consummatione saeculi, quae est finis Ecclesiae; "Sol obscurabitur," significat quod non amor et charitas amplius; "Luna non dabit lumen suum," significat quod non intelligentia et fides amplius; "Stellae cadent de Caelo," significat quod non cognitiones boni et veri amplius; "plangent omnes tribus terrae," significat quod non bona et vera amplius; "afflictio" significat statum, Ecclesiae illum.