Apocalypse Revealed (Coulsons) n. 48

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48. 'And His eyes as a flame of fire' signifies the Divine Wisdom of the Divine Love. By 'eyes' in the Word the understanding is meant, and by the sight of the eyes, intelligence. When, therefore, [this is said] of the Lord, the Divine Wisdom is understood. By 'a flame of fire', however, is signified the spiritual love that is charity; therefore the Divine Love is understood when it concerns the Lord. Consequently, then, the Divine Wisdom of the Divine Love is signified by the fact that His eyes were as a flame of fire. That the eye signifies the understanding, is because they correspond; for as the eye sees by virtue of natural light, so the understanding sees by virtue of spiritual light. 'To see' is therefore predicated of both. That by 'eye' in the Word the understanding is signified is plain from the following passages:-

Bring forth the blind people who have eyes, and the deaf who have ears Isa. xliii 8.

In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of dense darkness Isa. xxix 18.

Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf Isa. xxxv 5, 6.

I will give Thee for a light of the Gentiles, for the opening of the eyes of the blind Isa. xlii [6,] 7.

These things [are said] of the Lord, Who when He comes will open the understanding with those who are in ignorance of the truth. [2] That this is understood by 'opening the eyes' is even plainer from these passages:-

Make the heart of this people fat, and smear over their eyes, lest perchance they see with their eyes Isa. vi 9, 10; John xii 40.

Jehovah has poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and has closed your eyes; the prophets and your leaders, the seers has He covered Isa. xxix 10; xxx 10.

Who shuts his eyes lest he should see evil Isa. xxxiii 15.

Hear this, O foolish people, who have eyes and see not Ezek. xii 2.

The punishment of the shepherd deserting the flock; the sword upon [his] right eye, and [his] right eye shall be darkened with dense darkness Zech. xi 17.

The plague wherewith Jehovah will smite all the people that shall fight against Jerusalem; their eyes shall consume away in their sockets Zech. xiv 12.

I will smite every horse with astonishment, and every horse of the people with blindness Zech. xii 4.

A 'horse' in the spiritual sense is the understanding of the Word (n. 298).

Give heed to me, Jehovah my God, enlighten my eyes, lest perchance I sleep death Ps. xiii 3 [H.B. 4].

Every one sees that in these passages the understanding is signified by 'eyes'. [3] Consequently it is plain what the Lord understood by 'eye' in these passages:-

The lamp of the body is the eye; if thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light; if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be darkened. If therefore the light (lumen) that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness Matt. vi 22, 23; Luke xi 34.

If thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee, for it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into the Gehenna of fire Matt. v 29, xviii 9.

By 'eye' in these passages is not understood an eye, but an understanding of truth. Since by 'eye' an understanding of truth is signified, there was therefore among the statutes with the sons of Israel, that:-

out of the seed of Aaron, a blind man, or one with a disordered eye, should not come nigh to offer a sacrifice, nor enter within the veil Lev. xxi 18, 20.

Again that:-

anything blind should not be offered in a sacrifice Lev. xxii 22; Mal. i 8.

[4] It is plain from these [passages] what is understood by 'eye' when predicated of man: it follows therefrom that by 'eye' when predicated of the Lord is understood His Divine Wisdom, also His Omniscience and Providence, as in these passages:-

Open Thine eyes, O Jehovah, and see Isa. xxxvii x 7.

I will set My eye upon them in good, and I will build them Jer. xxiv 6.

Behold the eye of Jehovah is upon them who fear Him Ps. xxxiii 18.

Jehovah in the temple of His holiness, His eyes behold, and His eyelids try the sons of man Ps. xi 4.

Since by 'cherubs' is signified the Lord's guarding and providence that the spiritual sense of the Word should not be injured, therefore it is said of the four animals that were cherubs, that:-

They were full of eyes before and behind, and their wings were likewise full of eyes Rev. iv 6, 8.

Again that:-

The wheels, upon which the cherubs were borne along, were full of eyes round about Ezek. x 12.

[5] That by 'a flame of fire' His Divine Love is understood will be seen in the following pages where 'flame' and 'fire' are mentioned; and because it is said that 'His eyes were as a flame of fire' the Divine Wisdom of the Divine Love is signified. That in the Lord there is the Divine Love of the Divine Wisdom and the Divine Wisdom of the Divine Love, thus a reciprocal union of both, is an arcanum disclosed in ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM (n. 34-39), and elsewhere.


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