689.启16:7.“我又听见出于祭坛的另一位说,是的,主神,全能者阿,你的判断义哉,诚哉”表确认这神性真理的圣言神性良善。“另一位”(即另一位天堂)表示圣言的神性良善;“天使”表示从主发出的神性(415,631,633节);“出于祭坛的天使”表示爱的神性良善(648节),在此表示圣言的神性良善,因为圣言仍是所论述的主题,还因为“众水的天使”表示圣言的神性真理(685节)。由于圣言的神性良善和圣言的神性真理合而为一,所以论及“众水的天使”的话和论及“出于祭坛的天使”的话意思一样;因为“众水的天使”说:“今在昔在神圣的主阿,你是公义的,因为你已经判断这些事”;而“出于祭坛的天使”说:“是的,主神,全能者阿,你的判断义哉,诚哉”。这两句话意思差不多,区别在于:一位出于真理说话,另一位出于良善说话,一位确认另一位所说的话,只是所用的话不同;一位所用的话属于真理类,另一位所用的话属于良善类;因为圣言的每一个细节都有一个真理与良善的婚姻(97节),有些话与良善相关,有些话与真理相关,它们看似不同,但都涉及相同的事。
689. 16:7 And I heard another from the altar saying, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments." This symbolizes the Divine goodness in the Word supporting that Divine truth.
Another, namely another angel, symbolizes the Divine goodness in the Word. An angel symbolizes the Divinity emanating from the Lord (nos. 415, 631, 633), and an angel from the altar symbolizes the Divine goodness of love (no. 648), here the Divine goodness in the Word, because the Word continues to be the subject, and because the angel of the waters symbolizes the Word's Divine truth (no. 685).
Now because the Word's Divine goodness and the Word's Divine truth are united, therefore the symbolic meaning of what the angel of the waters said and the symbolic meaning of what the angel from the altar said are similar. For the angel of the waters said, "You are righteous, O Lord, the One who is and who was, and holy, because You have judged these things," while here the angel from the altar said, "Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Your judgments." These two utterances have the same symbolic meaning, with the sole difference that one of the angels spoke from the prompting of truth, and the other from the prompting of goodness, and that one confirmed what the other said, but using different words, one using words that belong to the classification of truth, and the other using words that belong to the classification of good. For there is a marriage of truth and goodness in every part of the Word (no. 97), and some words are words having to do with goodness, and some are words having to do with truth. They appear to differ, but still they involve similar ideas.
689. [verse 7] 'And I heard another out of the altar saying, Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Thy judgments' signifies the Divine Good of the Word confirming that Divine Truth. By 'another,' namely an angel, is signified the Divine Good of the Word. By 'an angel' is signified what is Divine from the Lord (415, 631, 633); and by an angel 'out of the altar' is signified the Divine Good of love (648), here the Divine Good of the Word, because it is still treating of the Word, and because by 'the angel of the waters' is signified the Divine Truth of the Word (685). Now because the Divine Good of the Word and the Divine Truth of the Word make one, therefore similar things are signified by the things that the angel of the waters spoke and by those that the angel out of the altar spoke. For the angel of the waters said, 'Thou art just, O Lord, Who Is and Who Was, and art Holy, because Thou hast judged these things'; but here the angel out of the altar said, 'Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and just are Thy judgments.' The latter and the former signify similar things, with only the difference that one spoke out of Truth, the other out of Good, and that the one confirmed what the other spoke, but by means of different words; one by words that pertain to the category of truth, and the other by words that pertain to the category of good. For there is the marriage of truth and good in the details of the Word (97), and there are (dantur) words of good and words of truth, which appear different but yet involve similar things.
689. Verse 7 (Revelation 16:7). And I heard another out of the altar saying, Lord God Almighty; true and just are Thy judgments, signifies the Divine good of the Word confirming that Divine truth. By "another" (namely an angel), is signified the Divine good of the Word; by "an angel" is signified the Divine from the Lord, (415, 631, 633); and by an angel out of the altar is signified the Divine good of love, (648); here, the Divine good of the Word, because the Word still continues to be treated of, and because by "the angel of the waters" is signified the Divine truth of the Word, (685). Now, since the Divine good of the Word and the Divine truth of the Word make one, therefore the signification of what was spoken by the angel of the waters is similar to that which was spoken by the angel out of the altar; for the angel of the waters said, "Thou art just, O Lord, Who art, and Who wast, and art holy, because Thou hast judged these things;" but the angel out of the altar said, "Yea, Lord God Almighty; true and just are Thy judgments." Both these expressions have a similar signification, but with this difference, that one spoke from truth, and the other from good, and one confirmed what the other spoke, but by different words; one by words which belong to the class of truth, and the other by words which belong to the class of good; for there is a marriage of truth and good in every particular of the Word, (97), and there are words which relate to good, and words which relate to truth, which seem different, but nevertheless involve things which are similar.
689. (Vers. 7.) "Et audivi alium et Altari, dicentem, Etiam Domine Deus Omnipotens vera et justa judicia Tua," significat Divinum Bonum Verbi confirmans Divinum Verum illud. - Per "alium," nempe Angelum, significatur Divinum Bonum Verbi; per "Angelum" significatur Divinum a Domino (415, 631, 633); 1et per "Angelum ex Altari" significatur Divinum Bonum Amoris (648); hic Divinum Bonum Verbi, quia de Verbo adhuc agitur, et quia per "Angelum aquarum" significatur Divinum Verum Verbi (685); nunc quia Divinum Bonum Verbi et Divinum Verum Verbi unum faciunt, ideo similia significantur per quae Angelus aquarum locutus est et quae Angelus ex Altari; Angelus aquarum enim dixit, "Justus es Domine, Qui Est et Qui Fuit, et Sanctus, quia haec judicasti;" hic vero ex Altari dixit, "Etiam Domine Deus Omnipotens, vera et justa judicia Tua." Haec et illa similia significant, solum cum discrimine, quod unus locutus sit ex Vero, alter ex Bono, et quod unus confirmaverit quod alter locutus est, sed per alias voces; unus per voces quae pertinent ad classem veri, et alter per voces quae pertinent ad classem boni: est enim conjugium veri et boni in singulis Verbi (97), et dantur voces boni et voces veri, quae apparent aliae, sed usque involvunt similia.
Footnotes:
1. 631 pro "431"