Apocalypse Explained (Whitehead) n. 463

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463. And they fell before the throne upon their faces, and worshiped God, signifies thanksgiving from a humble heart that so many have been saved by the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "falling upon the face and worshiping," as being here to give thanks from a humble heart; for "falling upon the face" signifies humiliation of heart, since to fall upon the face corresponds to such humiliation; for all the acts of the body so correspond to the affections of the mind that the two make one by correspondences; thus to fall upon the face before God in worship makes one by correspondence with humiliation of the heart. From this it became a custom with the ancients, and it still continues with many nations, to fall upon the very face in worship; while in the Christian world at present it is the custom simply to fall upon the knees. That "worshiping" signifies thanksgiving that so many have been saved is evident from what precedes and follows; for the salvation of those who have lived in good according to their religions, although they have not had genuine truths, is here treated of; thanksgiving on this account by the universal heaven is what now follows. It is said "they fell upon their faces and worshiped God;" "to fall upon the face" is a testification of humiliation of heart from the good of love, and "to worship God" is a testification of humiliation of heart by truths from that good.


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