790.启18:20.“天哪，众圣徒众使徒众先知阿，你们都要因她欢喜。因为神已经在她身上伸了你们的冤”表天上的天使和处于来自圣言的良善与真理的教会之人都要因那些陷入天主教的邪恶与虚假之人被移除和弃绝而发自内心的欢喜。“天哪，要因她欢喜”表示天上的天使如今发自内心欢喜，因为欢喜是内心的喜悦。与天使一同欢喜的，还有“众圣徒众使徒众先知”所表示的处于来自圣言的良善与真理的教会之人。“使徒”表示那些处于来自圣言的教会的良善和由此而来的真理之人，抽象来说，表示来自圣言的教会的良善与真理（79节）；“先知”表示源自出于圣言的良善的真理（8，133节）；他们之所以被称为“圣”，是因为如前所述，“使徒和先知”抽象地表示圣言的良善与真理，它们因属于主，故本身是神圣的（586，666节）。“因为神已经在她身上伸了你们的冤”表示因为那些陷入该宗教的邪恶和虚假之人被移除和弃绝了。所弃绝的并非其他人（参看786节）。下一章1-9节将论述天上的天使因那些陷入该宗教的邪恶和虚假之人被移除和弃绝而欢喜；此处仅说明他们要欢喜。不过，天使的欢喜不是因为他们被判罚，而是因为新天堂和新教会，以及忠信之人的得救；在他们被移除（这事通过最后的审判成就，并已经成就）之前，这些事无法成就；关于这个主题，可在下一章7-9节的解读中看到一些相关内容。由此明显可知，“天哪，众圣徒众使徒众先知阿，你们都要因她欢喜。因为神已经在她身上伸了你们的冤”表示天上的天使和处于来自圣言的良善与真理的教会之人都要因那些陷入天主教的邪恶与虚假之人被移除和弃绝而发自内心的欢喜。谁看不出此处不是指圣言中所说的“众使徒和众先知”？因为他们为数很少，而且并不比其他人更好；“众使徒和众先知”其实是指在主的教会中处于来自圣言的良善与真理的所有人；以色列的十二支派也是，如前所述（349节）。“使徒彼得”表示教会的真理或信仰；“使徒雅各”表示教会的仁爱；“使徒约翰”表示教会之人的仁爱行为。
790. 18:20 "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has visited your judgment on her!" This symbolically means, so that angels in heaven, and people in the church who possess goods and truths from the Word, now rejoice at heart that those caught up in the evils and falsities of the Roman Catholic religion have been removed and cast out.
Rejoice over her, O heaven, symbolically means, so that angels in heaven now rejoice at heart, for rejoicing is a joy of the heart. And you holy apostles and prophets means, symbolically, together with them, also people in the church who possess goods and truths from the Word - apostles symbolizing people who possess the church's goods and consequent truths from the Word, and abstractly the church's goods themselves and consequent truths themselves from the Word (no. 79), and prophets symbolizing truths springing from goodness from the Word (nos. 8, 133). They are called holy because, as we said, apostles and prophets symbolize abstractly the Word's goods and truths, which in themselves are holy, being the Lord's (nos. 586, 666). For God has visited your judgment on her, symbolically means, because those caught up in the evils and falsities of the Roman Catholic religion have been removed and cast out. That no others are meant may be seen in no. 786 above.
The joy of angels in heaven over the removal and casting down of people caught up in the evils and falsities of the Roman Catholic religion is the subject of the next chapter, verses 1 to 9. Here they are only told to rejoice. The angels' joy, however, is not a joy because of these people's damnation, but because of the new heaven and new church, and the salvation of the faithful, which could not come into being before the aforesaid people were removed, whose removal is achieved and was achieved by a last judgment, something that will be seen in our exposition of verses 7 to 9 of the next chapter.
It can be seen from this that "Rejoice over her, O heaven, and you holy apostles and prophets, for God has visited your judgment on her!" symbolically means that angels in heaven, and people in the church who possess goods and truths from the Word, should now rejoice at heart that those caught up in the evils and falsities of the Roman Catholic religion have been removed and cast out.
Who cannot see that it is not the apostles and prophets found in the Word that are meant here? They were few in number and men no better than others. But the apostles and prophets meant here are all in the Lord's church who possess goods and truths from the Word, as are meant also by the twelve tribes of Israel, as explained in no. 349 above. The apostle Peter means the church's truth or faith; the apostle James the church's charity; and the apostle John the charitable works of the people in the church.
790. [verse 20] 'Exult over her, O heaven, and the holy apostles and prophets, for God has judged your judgment on her' signifies that now the angels of heaven, and the men of the Church who are in goods and truths out of the Word, may rejoice at heart that those who are in the evils and untruths of that form of religion have been removed and rejected. 'Exult over her, O heaven' signifies that now the angels of heaven may rejoice at heart, for exultation is joy of heart. 'And the holy apostles and prophets' signifies and together with them the men of the Church who are in goods and truths out of the Word. By 'apostles' are signified those who are in the goods and thence in the truths of the Church out of the Word, and abstractly, the goods and truths of the Church out of the Word (79); and by 'prophets' are signified truths derived from good out of the Word (8, 133). They are called 'holy' because 'apostles and prophets,' as has been said, signify abstractly the goods and truths of the Word, which in themselves are holy because the Lord's (586, 666). 'For God has judged your judgment on her' signifies because those who are in the evils and untruths of that form of religion have been removed and rejected. That no others have may be seen above (786). The joy of the angels of heaven over the removal and rejection of those who are in the evils and untruths of that form of religion is treated of in the following chapter from verse 1 to verse 9; here only that they may rejoice. But the angelic joy is not derived from their damnation, but from the New Heaven and the New Church and the salvation of the faithful; which things cannot be given sooner than those have been removed, which is being done and has been done by means of the last judgment, on which subject something will be seen in the exposition of verses 7-9 of the following chapter. From these considerations it can be established that by 'Exult over her, O heaven, and the holy apostles and prophets, for God has judged your judgment on her' is signified that the angels of heaven, and the men of the Church who are in goods and truths out of the Word, may rejoice at heart that those who are in the evils and untruths of that form of religion have been removed and rejected. Who cannot see that the apostles and prophets treated of in the Word are not here understood, these having been few and not more excellent than other men? But by them are understood all in the Lord's Church who are in goods and truths out of the Word, as also by the twelve tribes of Israel treated of above (349). By 'the apostle Peter' is understood the truth (veritas) or faith of the Church, by 'the apostle James' the charity of the Church, and by 'the apostle John' the works of charity of the men of the Church.
790. Verse 20. Exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets; for God hath judged your judgment upon her, signifies that the angels of heaven and the men of the church, who are in goods and truths from the Word, should rejoice in heart that those who are in the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion are removed and rejected. "Exult over her, O heaven," signifies that the angels of heaven should now rejoice in heart, for exultation is joy of the heart. "And ye holy apostles and prophets" signifies, and together with them the men of the church who are in the goods and truths from the Word. By "the apostles" those are signified who are in the goods and thence in the truths of the church from the Word, and abstractly the goods and thence the truths of the church from the Word, (79); and by "prophets" are signified truths from good from the Word (8, 133), who are called holy, because "the apostles and prophets," as was said, signify abstractly the goods and truths of the Word, which in themselves are holy, because the Lord's, (586, 666). "For God hath judged your judgment upon her," signifies because they who are in the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion are removed and rejected. That no others are rejected, may be seen above, (786). The joy of the angels of heaven over the removal and rejection of those who are in the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion, is treated of in the following chapter from verses 1-9; here only that they should rejoice. But the angelic joy is not from their condemnation, but from the New Heaven and the New Church, and the salvation of the faithful; which things cannot be given before they are removed, which is done and has been done by the Last Judgment; on which subject something will be seen in the explanation of verses 7-9 of the following chapter.
From this it may be evident that "Exult over her, O heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath judged your judgment upon her," signifies that the angels of heaven and the men of the church, who are in goods and truths from the Word, should rejoice in heart, that they who are the evils and falsities of that religious persuasion are removed and rejected. Who cannot see that the apostles and prophets spoken of in the Word are not here meant? They were few, and not more excellent than others; but by them are meant all in the Lord's church who are in goods and truths from the Word; as also by the twelve tribes of Israel, spoken of above, (349). By "the apostle Peter" the truth or faith of the church is meant; by "the apostle James," the charity of the church; and by "the apostle John," the works of charity of the men of the church.
790. (Vers. 20.) "Exulta Super ea, Caelum et sancti Apostoli et Prophetae, quia judicavit Deus judicium vestrum de illa," significat ut gaudeant corde nunc angeli Caeli et homines Ecclesiae qui in bonis et veris ex Verbo sunt, quod remoti et rejecti sint qui in Religiosi istius malis et falsis sunt.--"Exulta super ea, Caelum" significat ut gaudeant corde nunc angeli Caeli, exultatio enim est gaudium cordis; "et sancti apostoli et prophetae" significant et una cum illis homines Ecclesiae qui in bonis et veris ex Verbo sunt; per "apostolos" significantur qui in bonis et inde veris Ecclesiae ex Verbo sunt, et abstracte bona et inde vera Ecclesiae ex Verbo (79), et per "prophetas significantur vera ex bono e Verbo (8, 133); qui sancti appellantur, quia "apostoli et prophetae," ut dictum est, significant abstracte bona et vera Verbi, quae in se sancta sunt, quia Domini (586, 666); "quia judicavit Deus judicium vestrum de illa" significat quia remoti et rejecti sunt, qui in Religiosi istius malis et falsis sunt; quod non alii, videatur supra (786). De gaudio angelorum Caeli super remotione et rejectione illorum qui in malis et falsis istius Religiosi sunt, agitur in capite sequente (a versu 1 ad 9), hic solum ut gauderent: ast angelicum gaudium non est ex damnatione illorum, sed ex novo Caelo et nova Ecclesia, ac salvatione fidelium, quae non dari possunt priusquam illi remoti sunt, quod fit et factum est per Ultimum Judicium, de qua re videbitur in Explicatione versuum 7-9, capitis sequentis. Ex his constare potest, quod per "Exulta super ea, Caelum et sancti Apostoli et Prophetae, quia judicavit Deus judicium vestrum de illa," significetur ut gaudeant corde angeli Caeli ac homines Ecclesiae qui in bonis et veris ex Verbo sunt, quod remoti et rejecti sint qui in Religiosi istius malis et falsis sunt. Quis non videre potest, quod non apostoli et prophetae, de quibus in Verbo, hic intelligantur: hi pauci fuerunt et non praestantiores aliis; sed per illos intelliguntur omnes qui in Ecclesia Domini in bonis et veris ex Verbo sunt, sicut etiam per duodecim Tribus Israelis, de quibus supra (349); per "Apostolum Petrum" intelligitur Ecclesiae Veritas seu Fides, per "Apostolum Jacobum" Ecclesiae Charitas, et per "Apostolum Johannem" hominum Ecclesiae Opera Charitatis.