617.启14:3.“他们在宝座前，并在四活物和众长老前唱歌，仿佛是新歌”表在主面前和高层天堂的众天使面前对主的颂扬和赞美。“他们唱新歌”表示对主的承认和颂扬，即唯独祂是的审判者，救世主和救主，因而是天地之神（参看279节）。“在宝座前”就是在主面前，因为唯独祂坐在宝座上；“在四活物和众长老面前”则是在高层天堂的众天使面前（369节）；“仿佛是新歌”表示新基督天堂对主的颂扬和赞美，在此尤其颂扬和赞美祂如在古天堂那样被承认为天地之神。这就是“仿佛”这个词的含义，因为“仿佛是新歌”表示仿佛是新的，其实不是新的。前面已经说明，启示录（21:1）中所提到的新天堂就是一个由基督徒组成的新天堂，先前的天堂则由古人（ancient）和上古之人（most ancient people）组成，主在这些天堂被承认为天地之神。
617. 14:3 They sang as it were a new song before the throne, before the four living creatures, and before the elders. This symbolizes a celebration and glorification of the Lord in His presence and in the presence of the angels of the higher heavens.
Their singing a new song symbolizes an acknowledgment and glorification of the Lord as being the only Judge, Redeemer, and Savior, thus God of heaven and earth, as may be seen in no. 279 above. Before the throne means in the Lord's presence, because He alone sits upon the throne. Before the four living creatures and before the elders means in the presence of the angels of the higher heavens (no. 369).
As it were a new song symbolizes a celebration and glorification of the Lord in the New Christian Heaven. Here specifically it means that He was acknowledged as God of heaven and earth, as He is acknowledged in the ancient heavens. This is entailed in the phrase "as it were," for "as it were a new song" means that it was seemingly new, when in fact it was not new.
We have already said before that the new heaven spoken of in Revelation 21:1 is a new heaven formed of Christians, that the prior heavens were formed of ancient peoples and most ancient ones, and that in those heavens the Lord is acknowledged as God of heaven and earth.
617. [verse 3] 'And they were singing as it were a new song before the throne and before the four animals and before the elders' signifies a celebration and glorification of the Lord in His presence and in the presence of the angels of the higher heavens. That by 'they were singing a new song' is signified the acknowledgment and glorification of the Lord, that He Only is the Judge, Redeemer and Saviour, thus the God of heaven and earth, may be seen above (279). 'Before the throne' is in the presence of the Lord because He Only sits upon the throne. 'Before the four animals and before the elders' is in the presence of the higher angels (369). By 'as it were a new song' is signified the celebration and glorification of the Lord in the Christian New Heaven, here specifically that He has been acknowledged as the God of heaven and earth, just as He is acknowledged in the ancient heavens. This is involved in the phrase 'as it were' for 'as it were a new song' is equivalent to as if it were new, when nevertheless it is not new. That the New Heaven, treated of in the Apocalypse (chapter 21:1), is the New Heaven [formed] out of Christians, and that the former heavens are of the Ancients and the Most Ancients, also that the Lord in these heavens is acknowledged as the God of heaven and earth, has been stated before.
617. Verse 3. And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four animals and the elders, signifies the celebration and glorification of the Lord before Him and before the angels of the higher heavens. By "they sung a new song" is signified the acknowledgment and glorification of the Lord, that He alone is Judge, Redeemer, and Savior, thus the God of heaven and earth, see above, (279). "Before the throne" is before the Lord, because He alone sits upon the throne; that "before the four animals and the elders" is before the angels of the higher heavens, (369); by "as it were a new song," is signified the celebration and glorification of the Lord in the New Christian Heaven, here in particular that He is acknowledged as the God of heaven and earth, in like manner as in the ancient heavens. This is implied in the expression "as it were," for "as it were a new song," signifies as though it were new, when nevertheless it is not new. That the New Heaven mentioned in Revelation (chapter 21:1) is a New Heaven from Christians, and that the former heavens are from the ancient and most ancient people, also that the Lord is acknowledged in these heavens as the God of heaven and earth, has been said before.
617. (Vers. 3.) "Et canebant tanquam Canticum novum coram Throno, et coram quatuor Animalibus et coram Senioribus," significat celebrationem et glorificationem Domini coram Ipso, et coram Angelis superiorum Caelorum. - Quod per "canebant canticum novum" significetur agnitio et glorificatio Domini, quod Solus sit Judex, Redemptor, Salvator, ita Deus Caeli et Terrae, videatur supra (279); quod "coram Throno" sit coram Domino, est quia Ipse Solus super Throno sedet; quod "coram quatuor Animalibus et coram Senioribus" sit coram Angelis superiorum Caelorum (369); per "tanquam canticum novum" significatur celebratio et glorificatio Domini in Novo Caelo Christiano, hic in specie quod sit agnitus pro Deo Caeli et Terrae, sicut agnoscitur in Caelis antiquis: haec involvit vocula "tanquam;" nam "tanquam canticum novum" est tanquam id novum sit, cum tamen non est novum. Quod Novum Caelum, de quo dicitur in Apocalypsi 21:1, sit Novum Caelum ex Christianis, et quod priores Caeli sint ex antiquis et ex antiquissimis, tum quod Dominus in his Caelis agnoscatur pro Deo Caeli et Terrae, dictum est prius.