Apocalypse Explained (Whitehead) n. 994

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994. Verses 12-16. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like frogs. For they are spirits of demons, doing signs to go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle of that great day of the Almighty. Behold I come as a thief; happy is he that is awake and keepeth his garments, that he may not walk naked and they see his shame. And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon. 12. "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates," signifies the state of the church as to things rational, and intelligence therefrom (n. 995); "and the water thereof dried up," signifies that falsities were removed (n. 996); "that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared," signifies that Divine truth from the Lord might flow in (n. 997). 13. "And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast," signifies from the thought, reasoning, religion, and doctrine of those who are in faith alone, and in confirmations of that faith from the natural man (n. 998); "and out of the mouth of false prophets," signifies the doctrine of faith separated from the life, and of justification by it, confirmed from the Word falsified (n. 999); "three unclean spirits like frogs," signifies reasonings from mere falsities against Divine truths (n. 1000). 14. "For they are spirits of demons," signifies false reasonings from hell (n. 1001); "doing signs," signifies persuading by fallacies and sophistries (n. 1002); "to go away unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle," signifies to excite dissensions and combats against truths with all who are of the church (n. 1003); "of that great day of the Almighty," signifies the last state of the church, when the Lord comes and the Let Judgment takes place (n. 1004). 15. "Behold I come as a thief," signifies the Lord's coming and the Last Judgment (n. 1005); "happy is he that is awake," signifies the happy state of those who look to the Lord (n. 1006); "and keepeth his garments," signifies and who live according to His Divine truths (n. 1007); "that he may not walk naked," signifies that he may not be without truths, and thus without good (n. 1008); "and they see his shame," signifies and thus be in filthy loves (n. 1009). 16. "And he gathered them together into a place called in Hebrew Armageddon," signifies a state of combat from falsities against truths, arising from the love of self with the men of the church (n. 1010).


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