Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 87

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87. (v. 19) Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. That this signifies that all those things are for posterity, because they are Divine, is evident from the signification of writing, as being that it was for remembrance (concerning which, see Arcana Coelestia n. 8620), thus, that those things were for posterity; and from the signification of "which thou hast seen, and which are, and which shall be hereafter" as being all things; for the three times, namely, the past, the present and the future, signify all things; and because the things which he should write were from the Lord, therefore they signify things Divine, for nothing can proceed from the Lord but what is Divine. The various particulars, also, recorded in the Apocalypse, as well as those which are in the other prophetical parts of the Word, have an internal sense, and the internal sense is in the light of heaven, which is Divine truth proceeding from the Lord. It is here said, "which thou hast seen, and which are, and which shall be," because it was spoken above concerning the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, and there the Lord Himself is treated of; but here the Divine things from Him with man are treated of, as is evident from what precedes and from what follows in the series.


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