886.启21:5.“坐宝座的说，看哪！我将一切都更新了。又对我说，你要写上，因这些话是真实可信的”表主向那些将要进入灵人界，或自主在世时起直到如今已死之人谈论最后的审判，并说明这些事：先前的天和先前的地及其中一切人和事物都要灭亡；祂要创造一个新天和一个新地，以及一个新教会，该教会将被称为新耶路撒冷，要叫他们清楚知道这一切，并铭记在心，因为主自己已经见证并说了这一切。本节和接下来的几节，直到第八节（包括第八节在内）的内容是对那些将要从基督教界出来进入灵人界（这事死后即发生）的人说的，好叫他们不让自己被巴比伦人和龙们所迷惑；因为如前所述，所有人死后都会聚集到灵人界，在那里如在世时那样彼此交往，与巴比伦人并龙们在一起；而这些人不断燃烧着迷惑人的欲望，还被允许通过虚幻不实的技艺为自己仿造天堂，以此迷惑人；为防止这一切，主便说了这些事，好叫他们清楚知道那些天堂及其领地必要灭亡，主会创造一个新天和一个新地，那时，那些不让自己被迷惑的人就会得救。不过，要知道，这话是对那些生活在自主的时代起直到1757年施行最后审判期间的人说的，因为这些人有可能被迷惑；但此后，这种事就不可能再发生了，因为巴比伦人和龙们被分离并驱逐出去了。
现解释本节经文。“坐宝座的”是指主（808节末尾）。此处主之所以坐在宝座上说话，是因为祂说“看哪！我将一切都更新了”，以此表示祂即将执行最后的审判，然后创造一个新天和一个新地，以及一个新教会，及其中的一切人和事物；“宝座”是指代表在形式上的审判（参看229，845，865节）；先前的天和先前的教会在最后审判之日灭亡（865，877节）。“又对我说，你要写上，因这些话是真实可信的”表示他们会清楚知道这一切，并铭记在心，因为主自己已经见证并说了这一切；主第二次用“说”这个词，表示他们会清楚知道这一切；“写”表示铭记在心，或叫他们记住（639节）；“因这些话是真实可信的”表示他们应当相信，因为主自己见证并说了这一切。
886. 21:5 Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I am making all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful." This symbolizes the Lord's speaking about the Last Judgment to people about to enter the world of spirits, or die, from the time He was in the world to the present, saying that the former heaven together with the former earth, and the former church, with every single thing in them, will perish; that He will create a new heaven with a new earth, and a new church, which will be called the New Jerusalem; and that they may know this of a surety and remember it, because the Lord Himself has declared it.
The words in this and the following verses to the end of verse 8 were addressed to people in the Christian world who were about to enter the world of spirits - an event which takes place immediately after death - in order to keep them from being led astray by adherents of Babylon and followers of the dragon. For, as we have said before, all people after death are brought together in the world of spirits, and they form associations with each other like those in the natural world, where they were together with adherents of Babylon and followers of the dragon, who continually burn with a desire to lead others astray. It was also granted the latter to establish for themselves seeming heavens by using fanciful and illusory arts, and these, too, enabled them to lead people astray.
It was to prevent this from happening that the Lord spoke the words in these verses, that the people might know of a surety that those heavens would perish along with their lands, and that the Lord would create a new heaven and a new earth, when people who had not allowed themselves to be led astray would be saved.
It should be known, however, that these words were addressed to people who lived from the time of the Lord's advent to the time of the Last Judgment, which took place in the year 1757, because they could be led astray. But that is not the case with people since, because the adherents of Babylon and followers of the dragon have been isolated and cast out.
[2] But now for the exposition: He who sat on the throne means the Lord (see no. 808 toward the end). The Lord here spoke on the throne, because He said, "Behold, I am making all things new," which symbolically means that He would execute a last judgment and then create a new heaven and new earth, including a new church, with every single thing in them. That the throne is a form representative of judgment may be seen in nos. 229, 845, 865, and that the former heaven and former church will perish at the time of the Last Judgment, in nos. 865, 877. His saying to John, "Write, for these words are true and faithful," symbolically means that people might know this of a surety and remember it, because the Lord Himself has declared it. The Lord's using the verb "said" a second time symbolically means that they might know it of a surety. The command to write symbolizes that it is to be remembered, or that people should remember it (no. 639). And saying that these words are true and faithful symbolically means that the declaration is to be believed, because the Lord Himself has declared it.
886. [verse 5] 'And the One sitting upon the throne said, Behold I am making all things new, and He said unto me, Write, for these words are true and trustworthy' signifies the Lord speaking about the last judgment to those who were going to come into the world of spirits, or who were going to die from the time when he was in the world until now, these things: that the former heaven with the former land, and the former Church, with all the things in them collectively and separately, are going to perish; and that a new heaven with a new land, and a new Church which is to be called the New Jerusalem, is going to be created, and that they know these things for certain and will remember them, because the Lord Himself has testified it. The things that are in this verse, and in the following verses as far as the 8th inclusive, were said to those in Christendom who were going to come into the world of spirits, which happens immediately after decease, with the end in view that they might not suffer themselves to be led astray by the Babylonians and dragonists. For, as was said above, all after death are gathered together in the world of spirits and like to have companionships among themselves as in the natural world. They are there at the same time as the Babylonians and dragonists, who continually burn with the lust of leading astray. These latter were also allowed to fashion for themselves by imaginary and illusory arts as it were heavens, by means of which they could lead astray. To prevent this these things were said by the Lord, so that they might know for certain that those heavens with their lands were going to perish, and that the Lord was going to create a new heaven and a new land, and that then those were to be saved who did not suffer themselves to be led astray. It should, however, be known that these things were said to those who had lived from the time of the Lord up till the last judgment, which was effected in the year 1757, because they could have been led astray; but those there subsequently cannot, because the Babylonians and dragonists have been separated and cast out.
[2] But now to the exposition: by 'the One sitting upon the throne' is understood the Lord (808 at the end). The Lord here spoke 'upon the throne' because He said, 'Behold, I am making all things new,' by which is signified that He is going to effect the last judgment and then create a new heaven and a new land, and also a new Church, with all the things collectively and separately that are in them. That 'a throne' is judgment in a representative form may be seen (229, 845, 865); that the former heaven and the former Church have perished in the day of the last judgment (865, 877). By 'He said unto me, Write, for these words are true and trustworthy' is signified that they know these things for certain and will remember them, because the Lord Himself has testified it. By the Lord's making use a second time of the word 'He said' (dixit) is signified that they know it for certain. By 'Write' is signified for remembrance, or that they will remember it (639); and by 'these words are true and trustworthy' is signified that they are to be believed, because the Lord has testified it.
886. Verse 5 (Revelation 21:5). And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And He said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful, signifies the Lord speaking concerning the Last Judgment to those who are about to come into the world of spirits, or who would die, from the time of His being in the world until now, and saying these things, that the former heaven with the former earth, and the former church, with all and everything in them, would perish, and that He would create a New Heaven with a New Earth, and a New Church, which is to be called the New Jerusalem, and that they may know this of a certainty, and bear it in remembrance, because the Lord himself has testified and said it. The contents of this verse and of those which follow, as far as the eighth inclusive, were said to those who would come out of the Christian world into the world of spirits, which happens immediately after death, to the end that they might not suffer themselves to be seduced by the Babylonians and dragonists; for, as was said above, all after death are gathered together in the world of spirits, and cherish social interaction with one another there as in the natural world, where they are together with the Babylonians and dragonists, who continually burn with the lust of seducing, and who were also allowed, by imaginary and delusive arts, to form to themselves heavens, as it were, by which also they could seduce; to prevent this, these things were said by the Lord, that they might know of a certainty that those heavens with their earths would perish, and that the Lord would create a New Heaven and a New Earth, when they would be saved who did not suffer themselves to be seduced. But it is to be known, that this was said to those who lived from the Lord's time even to the Last Judgment, which was executed in the year 1757, because these could have been seduced; but after this event, this was no longer possible, because the Babylonians and dragonists were separated and cast out.
[2] We will now proceed to the explanation. By "Him who sat on the throne," is meant the Lord, (808, at the end). The reason why the Lord here spoke "upon a throne" is because He said, "Behold, I make all things new," by which is signified that he was about to execute the Last Judgment, and then to create a New Heaven and a New Earth, and a New Church, with all and everything in them; that "a throne" means judgment in a representative form, may be seen, (229, 845, 865); and that the former heaven and former church perished on the day of the Last Judgment, (865, 877). "He said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful" signifies that they might know this for certain, and remember it, because the Lord Himself testified and said it; the Lord's making use of the word "said" a second time signifies that they might know it for certain; by "write" is signified for remembrance or that they might remember, (639); and by "these words are true and faithful" is signified that they ought to be believed, because the Lord Himself testified and said it.
886. (Vers. 5.) "Et dixit Sedens super Throno, Ecce nova omnia facio: et dixit mihi, Scribe, quia haec verba vera et fida sunt," significat Dominum de Ultimo Judicio loquentem ad illos qui venturi sunt in Mundum spirituum, seu qui obituri a tempore quo Ipse in mundo fuit huc usque, haec, quod prius Caelum cum priore Terra, et prior Ecclesia, cum omnibus et singulis in illis, peritura sint, et quod novum Caelum cum nova Terra, ac novam Ecclesiam, quae vocanda est Nova Hierosolyma, creaturus sit, et quod haec pro certo sciant, et illorum recordentur, quia Ipse Dominus id testatus dixit. - Haec quae in hoc versu, et in sequentibus usque ad octavum inclusive, dicta sunt ad illos qui in Christiano orbe in Mundum spirituum venturi sunt, quod fit illico post obitum, propter finem ne paterentur se seduci a Babyloniis et Draconicis; nam, ut supra dictum est, omnes post mortem congregantur in Mundo spirituum, et inter se consortia fovent sicut in mundo naturali, ubi sunt simul cum Babyloniis et Draconicis, qui continue flagrant cupiditate seducendi, et quibus etiam concessum fuit sibi tanquam caelos per artes imaginarias et illusorias condere, per quas etiam potuissent seducere; ne hoc fieret, haec a Domino dicta sunt, ut pro certo scirent, quod illi caeli cum terris eorum perituri sint, et quod Dominus novum Caelum et novam Terram creaturus sit, quando salvandi sunt qui non passi sunt se seduci. At sciendum est, quod haec dicta sint ad illos qui a tempore Domini usque ad Ultimum Judicium, quod factum est Anno 1757, vixerunt, quia illi seduci potuerunt; non autem posthac possunt ibi, quia Babylonii et Draconici separati sunt, et ejecti.
Nunc sed ad explicationem: Per "Sedentem super Throno" intelligitur Dominus (808 fin.); quod Dominus hic dixerit "super Throno," est quia dixit "Ecce nova omnia facio," per quae significatur quod facturus sit Ultimum Judicium, et tunc creaturus sit novum Caelum et novam Terram, atque novam Ecclesiam cum omnibus et singulis quae in illis; quod "Thronus" sit judicium in forma repraesentativa, videatur 229, 845, 865; quod prius Caelum et prior Ecclesia die Ultimi Judicii perierint, 865, 877; per "dixit mihi, Scribe, quia haec verba vera et fida sunt" significatur quod haec pro certo sciant, et illorum recordentur, quia Ipse Dominus id testatus dixit; per quod Dominus secundo usus sit verbo "dixit," significatur quod id pro certo sciant: per "scribe" significatur in recordationem, seu ut illorum recordentur (639); et per "haec verba vera et fida sunt" significatur quod credenda sint, quia Ipse Dominus id testatus dixit.