Apocalypse Revealed (Coulsons): AR 6

Apocalypse Revealed (Coulsons) n. 6

6. [verse 2] 'Who bare witness of the Word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ' signifies who from the heart, and so in the light, receive Divine Truth out of the Word, and acknowledge the Lord's Human to be Divine. It is said of John that he bare witness of the Word of God; but since by 'John' is understood all who are in the good of a life derived from charity and its faith, as has been stated just above (n. 5), therefore all those are understood in the spiritual sense. The angels, who are in the spiritual sense of the Word, never know any name of a person mentioned by name in the Word, but only what the person represents and thence signifies, and this, instead of 'John', is the good of life, or good in act; consequently all comprehensively who are in that good. These 'bear witness' that is, see, acknowledge, receive from the heart in the light, and avow, the truths of the Word, especially that truth there that the Lord's Human is Divine, as can be established from the passages out of the Word adduced in abundance in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE LORD. By 'Jesus Christ' and by 'the Lamb' in the Apocalypse is understood the Lord as to the Divine Human, and by 'God' the Lord as to the Divine from which [all things are] (Divinum a Quo). [2] With regard to the spiritual signification of 'to bear witness', this is predicated of the truth (veritas), because in the world the truth (veritas) is to be witnessed, and when it has been witnessed, it is acknowledged. In heaven, however, the truth (veritas) itself bears witness of itself, because it is the very light of heaven. For when angels hear a truth (veritas) they recognise and acknowledge it there and then; and since the Lord is the Truth (Veritas) Itself as He Himself teaches in John xiv 6, in heaven He is His own Testimony. From this it is plain what is understood by 'the testimony of Jesus Christ'. Therefore the Lord says:-

You sent unto John, and he hare witness unto the truth (veritas), but I receive not testimony from man John v 33, 34.

And in another place:-

John came for a testimony to bear witness of the Light; he was not that Light: the Word, which was with God and was God, and was made flesh, was the true Light, which lights every man John ii, 2, 7, 8, [9,] 14, 34.

Elsewhere:-

Jesus said, I bear witness of Myself, and My testimony is true, for I know whence I came and whither I go John viii 14.

When the Comforter the Spirit of truth (veritas) has come, He shall testify of Me John xv 26.

By 'the Comforter the Spirit of truth' is understood the Truth (Veritas) itself proceeding from the Lord, concerning which it is therefore said that He will not speak from Himself but out of the Lord (John xvi 13, 14, 15).

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