647.启14:17.“又有一位天使从天上的殿中出来，他也拿着快镰刀”表主的属灵国度的众天堂，和它们当中的圣言神性真理。“天使”在至高意义上表示主，也表示天使天堂，同样表示从主发出的神性真理（5，65，170，258，342，343，344，415，465节）；但此处“天使”表示属灵国度的众天堂，因而那里的神性真理，因为经上接下来说“有一位天使从祭坛中出来”，这位“天使”表示主的属天国度的众天堂，因而表示那里的神性良善，这一点将下一节予以论述。所有天堂被分为两个国度，即属灵国度和属天国度。属灵国度是主之智慧的国度，因为那里的天使处于来自主源于神性真理的智慧；属天国度是主之爱的国度，因为那里的天使处于来自主的爱，因而处于一切良善。所有天堂被分为两个国度，这一事实可见于1758年于伦敦出版的《天堂与地狱》（20-28节）一书，还可见于1763年于阿姆斯特丹出版的《圣爱与圣智》（101，381节）一书。“殿”表示整个天堂（644）；但由于此处经上说“天上的殿”，然后又说“祭坛”，所以“殿”表示主的属灵国度的天堂，如前所述；“快镰刀”表示圣言的神性真理，如前所述（643，645节）。
前面经上之所以说“那坐在云上的，就把镰刀扔在地上。地就被收割了”，现在又说“又有一位天使从天上的殿中出来，他也拿着快镰刀”，并且他“把镰刀扔在地上，收取了地上的葡萄园”，因为被“那坐在云上的”或主所收割的“地”表示全地的教会，而“地上的葡萄园”表示基督教界的教会。这些话所涉及的事与主以撒种收割的比喻所预言的事（马太福音13章，如前面所引用的，645节末尾）很相似，那里说到“收割就是时代的末了”，也就是教会的终结，还说“收割的人就是天使”，“天使”表示神性真理。因为天使不是真的被派去收割或做这些事，而是主藉着其圣言的神性真理来做这些事；因为主说：
我讲的道（即圣言）在末日要审判。（约翰福音12:48）
647. 14:17 Then another angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle. This symbolizes the heavens of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and the Word's Divine truth in them.
In the highest sense an angel symbolizes the Lord, and also the angelic heaven, and likewise the Divine truth emanating from the Lord (see nos. 5, 65, 170, 258, 342-344, 415, 465 above). Here, however, the angel symbolizes the heavens of the spiritual kingdom, and consequently the Divine truths there, because we are told in the next verse that another angel came out from the altar, who symbolizes the heavens of the Lord's celestial kingdom, thus the Divine goodness there, as shown in the next number.
All the heavens are divided into two kingdoms - the spiritual kingdom and the celestial kingdom. The spiritual kingdom is the kingdom of the Lord's wisdom, because the angels in it are in a state of wisdom gained from Divine truths received from the Lord; and the celestial kingdom is the kingdom of the Lord's love, because the angels there are prompted by love received from the Lord and so possess every kind of goodness.
That all the heavens are divided into two kingdoms may be seen in the book Heaven and Hell (London, 1758), nos. 20-28. Also in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom (Amsterdam, 1763), nos. 101, 381.
A temple symbolizes the whole of heaven, as in no. 644 above; but because it is called here the temple which is in heaven, and after that mention is made of the altar, the temple symbolizes the heaven of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, as said just above. And the sharp sickle symbolizes Divine truth in the Word, as in nos. 643, 645 above.
[2] Previously the text said that He who sat on the cloud thrust in His sickle and the earth was reaped, and now that an angel came out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle, and he thrust it into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth; and the reason is that the earth which was reaped by Him who sat on the cloud, or the Lord, symbolizes the church throughout the world, while the vine of the earth symbolizes the church in the Christian world.
This description includes elements similar to those in what the Lord foretold in the parable of the sower and his gathering in of the harvest in Matthew 13, which we quoted above at the end of no. 645. There we said that the harvest is the culmination of the age, that is, the end of the church, and that the reapers are angels who symbolize Divine truths. For angels are not sent to reap, that is, to perform the actions symbolized, but the Lord accomplishes the actions through the Divine truths in His Word. As the Lord says, "the word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day" (John 12:48). See nos. 233, 273 above.
647. [verse 17] 'And another angel went out of the temple that is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle' signifies the heavens of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and the Divine Truth of the Word with them. By an 'angel' is signified in the highest sense the Lord, then the angelic heaven, and also Divine Truth proceeding from the Lord, as may be seen above (Arcana Coelestia 5, 65, 170, 258, 342-344, 415, 465). But by the 'angel' here are signified the heavens of the spiritual kingdom, and consequently the Divine truths there, because it follows on that 'another angel went out of the altar,' by which are signified the heavens of the Lord's celestial kingdom, thus the Divine Goods there, of which [something will be said] in a subsequent paragraph. There are two kingdoms into which all the heavens have been distinguished, the spiritual kingdom and the celestial kingdom. The spiritual kingdom is the kingdom of the Lord's Wisdom, because the angels there are in wisdom out of Divine Truths from the Lord; and the celestial kingdom is the kingdom of the Lord's Love, because the angels there are in love from the Lord, and thence in every good. That there are two kingdoms into which all the heavens have been distinguished may be seen in the work Concerning HEAVEN AND HELL, published in 1758 at London (20-28); also in ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, published in 1763 [at Amsterdam] (101, 381). By 'the temple' is signified the entire heaven, as above (644), but because it is here said' the temple that is in heaven and afterwards 'the altar,' by 'the temple' is signified the heaven of the Lord's spiritual kingdom as was said just above; and by 'a sharp sickle 'is signified the Divine Truth of the Word, as above (643, 645).
[2] The reason why it is said above that 'the One sitting upon the cloud put forth His sickle and the land was reaped,' and now that 'an angel went Out of the temple out of heaven, he also having a sickle, and put it forth into the land and gathered the vintage of the vineyard of the land,' is because by 'the land' that [was reaped] by the One sitting upon the cloud, or the Lord, is signified the Church throughout the entire world, and by 'the vineyard of the land' is signified the Church in Christendom. These [words] involve things similar to those that the Lord foretold in the parable of the sower and the gathering of the harvest (Matt. xiii), which were quoted above at the end of 645, where it is said that 'the harvest is the consummation of the age,' that is, the end of the Church, and that 'the reapers are angels,' by which are signified Divine Truths. For angels are not sent to reap, that is, to do these things, but the Lord does it by means of the Divine Truths of His Word, for the Lord says:
The Word that I have spoken shall judge in the final day. John 12:48.
647. And another angel went out of the temple which is in heaven, he also having a sharp sickle, signifies the heavens of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, and the Divine truth of the Word with them. By "an angel" is signified, in the highest sense, the Lord, also the angelic heaven, and likewise the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord (see above, 5, 65, 170, 258, 342, 343, 344, 415, 465); but here by "an angel" the heavens of the spiritual kingdom are signified, and thence the Divine truths there, because it follows that "another angel went out from the altar," by whom the heavens of the Lord's celestial kingdom are signified, thus the Divine goods there, which will be treated of in the next article. There are two kingdoms into which all the heavens are distinguished, the spiritual kingdom and the celestial kingdom. The spiritual kingdom is the kingdom of the Lord's wisdom, because the angels there are in wisdom from Divine truths from the Lord; and the celestial kingdom is the kingdom of the Lord's love, because the angels there are in love from the Lord, and thence in all good. That there are two kingdoms, into which all the heavens are distinguished, may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell, published at London, 1758 (20-28), and in the Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and Wisdom, published at Amsterdam, 1763 (101, 381). By "the temple" is signified the whole heaven, as above, (644); but as it is here said, "the temple which is in heaven," and afterwards "the altar," by "the temple" is signified the heaven of the Lord's spiritual kingdom, as was observed above; and by "a sharp sickle" is signified the Divine truth of the Word, as above, (643, 645).
[2] The reason why it is said above, that "He that sat on the cloud sent his sickle and the earth was reaped," and now that "an angel went out of the temple from heaven, he also having a sickle, and he sent it into the earth and gathered the vineyard of the earth," is, because by "the earth," which was reaped by Him who sat on the cloud, or by the Lord, is signified the church in the whole earth, but by "the vineyard of the earth" is signified the church in the Christian world. These words involve things similar to what the Lord foretold in the parable of the sower and the gathering in of harvest, Matthew 13 as above cited, (645, at the end), where it is said that "the harvest is the consummation of the age," that is, the end of the church, and that "the reapers are the angels," by whom are signified Divine truths. For the angels are not sent to reap, that is, to do those things, but the Lord does them by the Divine truths of His Word; for the Lord says:
The Word that I have spoken, it will judge in the last day, (John 12:48).
647. "Et alius Angelus exivit e Templo quod in Caelo, habens et ille falcem acutam," significat Caelos Regni spiritualis Domini et Divinum Verum Verbi apud illos.--Per "Angelum" significatur in supremo Sensu Dominus, tum Caelum angelicum, et quoque Divinum Verum procedens a Domino (5, 65, 170, 258, 342, 343, 344, 415, 465); 1hic autem per "Angelum" significantur Caeli Regni spiritualis, et inde Divina vera ibi, quia sequitur quod "alius Angelus exiverit ex Altari," per quem significantur Caeli Regni caelestis Domini, ita Divina Bona ibi, de quo in articulo subsequente. Sunt duo Regna, in quae omnes Caeli distincti sunt, Regnum Spirituale et Regnum Caeleste; Regnum Spirituale est Regnum Sapientiae Domini, quia Angeli ibi in Sapientia ex Divinis Veris a Domino sunt; et Regnum Caeleste est Regnum Amoris Domini, quia Angeli ibi in amore a Domino sunt, et inde in omni bono. Quod sint duo Regna, in quae omnes Caeli distincti sunt, videatur in opere de, Caelo et Inferno, Londini 1758 edito (20-28); et in Sapientia Angelica de Divino Amore et Divina Sapientia, (Amstelodami) 1763 edita (101, 381). Per "templum" significatur universum Caelum, ut supra (644), at quia hic dicitur "templum quod in Caelo," et postea "altare," per "templum" significatur Caelum Regni spiritualis Domini, ut mox supra dictum est; et per "falcem acutam" significatur Divinum Verum Verbi, ut supra (643, 645). Quod supra dictum sit, quod "Sedens super nube miserit falcem Suam et demessa est terra," et nunc quod "Angelus exiverit e Templo e Caelo, habens et ille falcem, et miserit illam in terram et vindemiaverit vineam terrae," est quia per "terram," quae a Sedente super nube, seu Domino, (demessa est,) significatur Ecclesia in universo terrarum orbe, at per "vineam terrae" significatur Ecclesia in Christiano orbe. Haec involvunt similia, quae Dominus praedixit in Parabola de Seminante et collectione Messis, Matthaeus 13, quae supra (645 ad fin.) adducta est, ubi dicitur quod "Messis sit Consummatio saeculi," hoc est, finis Ecclesiae, et quod "Messores sint Angeli," per quos significantur Divina Vera; Angeli enim non mittuntur ad metendum, hoc est, ad faciendum illa, sed Dominus id facit per Divina Vera Verbi Sui; Dominus enim dicit,
"Verbum quod locutus sum, judicabit in extremo die," (Johannes 12:48);
Footnotes:
1. 65 pro "66," 343 pro "363," et 465 pro "365"