1. After these things I heard as it were the voice of a great crowd in heaven saying, Hallelujah, salvation and glory and honour and power to the Lord our God:

2. For true and just are His judgments, for He has judged the great harlot who has corrupted Use land with her whoredom, and He has avenged the blood of His servants from (de) her hand. 3. And a second time they said, Hallelujah; and her smoke goes up for ages of ages. 4. And the twenty-four elders and the four animals fell down, and they adored God sitting upon the throne saying, Amen Hallelujah. 5. And a voice came out of the throne saying, Praise our God, O all His servants, and those fearing Him, both the small and the great. 6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great crowd, and as it were the voice of many waters, and as it were the voice of powerful thunders, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord God Almighty reigns. 7. Let us rejoice and exult and give glory to Him, for the Lamb's wedding has come, and His wife has made herself ready. 8. And it was granted to her that she should be arrayed with fine linen, clean and bright, for the fine linen [signifies] the just deeds of the saints. 9. And he said unto me, Write, Blessed are those who are called unto the supper of the Lamb's wedding; and he said, These are the true words of God. 10. And I fell down before his feet to adore him, and he said unto me, See thou, do it not (vide, ne), I am thy fellow- servant and of thy brothers having the testimony of Jesus; adore God, for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy. 11. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse, and the One sitting upon it is called Faithful and True, and in justice He judges and fights. 12. And His eyes as it were a flame of fire, and upon His head many diadems, having a Name written that no one knew but Himself. 13. And clothed with a blood-stained garment, and His Name is called The Word of God. 14. And the armies that are in heaven were following Him upon white horses, clothed with fine linen white and clean. 15. And out of His mouth a sharp sword was proceeding, that by means of it He should smite the nations, and He Himself shall lead them to pasture with an iron rod, and He Himself is treading the wine-press of the fury and wrath of Almighty God. 16. And upon the garment and upon His thigh He has a Name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. 17. And I saw one angel standing in the Sun, and he cried out with a great voice, saying to all the birds flying in the midst of heaven, Come and flock together to the Supper of the Great God;

18. That you may eat the flesh of kings, and the flesh of rulers of thousands, and the flesh of strong men, and the flesh of horses, and of those sitting upon them, and the flesh of all, freemen and bondmen, both small and great. 19. And I saw the beast, and the kings of the land and their armies gathered together to wage war with the One sitting upon the horse and with His army. 20. And the beast was arrested, and with him the false prophet who did signs before him, with which he led astray those accepting the mark of the beast and adoring his image. These two were sent away alive into the lake of fire burning with sulphur. 21. And the rest were slain by the sword of the One sitting upon the horse, [the sword] proceeding out of His mouth, and all the birds were satiated with their flesh.

THE SPIRITUAL SENSE

THE CONTENT OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER

The glorification of the Lord by the angels of heaven because the Roman Catholic form of religion has been put away in the spiritual world, in consequence of which they have come into the light and into their happiness (vers. 1-5).

The proclamation of the Lord's Coming, and of the New Church from Himself (vers. 6-10).

The opening of the Word as to its spiritual sense for that Church (vers. 11-16).

The calling of all men to that [Church] (vers. 17, 18).

The resistance by those who are in faith separated from charity (verse 19).

Their removal and damnation (vers. 20, 21).

THE CONTENTS OF EACH OF THE VERSES

1. After these things I heard as it were the voice of a great crowd in heaven saying, Hallelujah signifies a thanksgiving, confession and celebration of the Lord by the angels of the lower heavens on account of the removal of the Babylonians. Salvation and glory and honour and power unto the Lord our God signifies that now there is salvation from the Lord, because now there is the reception of Divine Truth and Divine Good out of His Divine authority. 2. For true and just are His judgments, for He has judged the great harlot who has corrupted the land with her whoredom signifies because out of justice the profane Babylonian form of religion has been condemned, which has destroyed the Lord's Church by foul adulterations of the Word. And He has avenged the blood of His servants from (de) her hand signifies retribution on account of the injuries and violent deeds inflicted on the souls of the worshippers of the Lord. 3. And a second time they said, Hallelujah, her smoke goes up for ages of ages signifies thanksgiving and celebration of the Lord for joy that that profane form of religion has been damned for ever. 4. And the twenty-four elders and the four animals fell down and adored God sitting upon the throne, saying, Amen Hallelujah signifies the adoration of the Lord as the God of heaven and earth and as the Judge of the universe by the angels of the higher heavens, and the confirmation of the thanksgiving, confession and celebration of the Lord by the angels of the lower heavens. 5. And a voice came out of the throne saying, Praise our God, O all His servants, and those fearing Him signifies an influx from the Lord into heaven, and thus the unanimity of the angels that all who are in the truths of faith and goods of love should worship the Lord as the Only God of heaven. Both the small and the great signifies those who out of the truths of faith and goods of love worship the Lord in a lesser or greater degree. 6. And I heard as it were the voice of a great crowd, and as it were the voice of many waters, and as it were the voice of powerful thunders, saying, Hallelujah, for the Lord God Almighty reigns signifies the joy of the angels of the lowest heaven, of the angels of the middle heaven, and of the angels of the highest heaven, that the Only Lord reigns in the Church that is now about to come. 7. Let us rejoice and exult and give glory to Him, for the Lamb's wedding has come signifies joy of soul and heart, and the consequent glorification of the Lord that henceforth there may be effected a full marriage of Himself with the Church. And His wife has made herself ready signifies that those who will belong to this Church, which is the New Jerusalem, are being assembled, inaugurated and instructed. 8. And it was granted to her that she should be arrayed with fine linen clean and bright signifies that they are being instructed by the Lord in genuine and pure truths by means of the Word. For the fine linen [signifies] the just deeds of the saints signifies that by means of truths out of the Word those who belong to the Lord's Church have the goods of life. 9. And he said unto me, Write, Blessed are those who are called unto the supper of the Lamb's wedding signifies one angel out of heaven sent to John and speaking with him concerning the Lord's New Church, and saying that on earth it would be given to know that those who receive the things that are of that Church have eternal life. And he said, These are the true words of God signifies that this is to be believed because it is from the Lord. 10. And I fell down before his feet to adore him, and he said, See thou, do it not, I am thy fellow-servant and of thy brothers having the testimony of Jesus; adore God signifies that the angels of heaven are not to he adored and invoked because nothing Divine belongs to them, but that they are associated with men as brothers with brothers with those who worship the Lord, and thus that in company with them the Only Lord is to be adored. For the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy signifies that the acknowledgment that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and at the same time a life in accordance with His precepts, is in the universal sense everything of the Word and of the doctrine thence. 11. And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse signifies the spiritual sense of the Word revealed by the Lord, and thereby the disclosure of the interior understanding of the Word, which is the Lord's coming. And the One sitting upon it is called Faithful and True, and in justice He judges and fights signifies the Lord as to the Word, which is Divine Good and Divine Truth Itself, out of both of which He effects judgment. 12. And His eyes as it were a flame of fire signifies the Lord's Divine Wisdom of Divine Love. And upon His head many diadems signifies the Divine truths of the Word from Himself. Having a Name written that no one knew but Himself signifies that no one sees what the Word is like in its spiritual and celestial sense but the Lord and he to whom He Himself reveals it. 13. And clothed with a blood-stained garment, and His Name is called The Word of God signifies Divine Truth in the ultimate sense, or the Word in the letter, on which violence has been inflicted. 14. And the armies that are in heaven were following Him upon white horses, clothed with fine linen white and clean signifies the angels in the Christian New Heaven who were conjoined with the Lord in the interior understanding of the Word, and were thus in pure and genuine truths. 15. And out of His mouth a sword was proceeding signifies the dispersion of untruths by means of the doctrine derived thence from the Lord. That by means of it He should smite the nations, and He Himself shall lead them to pasture with an iron rod signifies that by means of the truths of the sense of the letter of the Word and by rational things He will convince all who are in a dead faith. And He Himself is treading the wine-press of the fury and wrath of Almighty God signifies that the Lord Only has endured all the evils of the Church, and all the violence inflicted on the Word, thus on Himself. 16. And upon the garment and upon His thigh He has a Name written, King of kings and Lord of lords signifies that the Lord teaches in the Word what He is like, that He is the Divine Truth of Divine Wisdom and the Divine Good of Divine Love, thus that He is the God of the universe. 17. And I saw one angel standing in the Sun, and he cried out with a great voice, saying to all the birds flying in the midst of heaven, Come and flock together for the Supper of the Great God signifies the Lord out of Divine Love, and consequently out of Divine Zeal, calling and assembling all who are in the affection of spiritual truth and who think about heaven to the New Church and to conjunction with Himself, thus to eternal life. 18. That you may eat the flesh of kings and the flesh of rulers of thousands and the flesh of strong men, and the flesh of horses, and of those sitting upon them, and the flesh of [all] freemen and bondmen, both small and great signifies the appropriation of goods from the Lord by means of the truths of the Word and the doctrine thence derived, in every sense, degree and kind. 19. And I saw the beast and the kings of the land and their armies gathered together to wage war with the One sitting upon the horse and with His army signifies that all the interiorly evil who have made profession of faith alone, with the leaders and their adherents, are going to attack the Lord's Divine Truths in His Word and to infest those who will be of the Lord's New Church. 20. And the beast was arrested, and with him the false prophet who did signs before him with which he led astray those accepting the mark of the beast and those adoring his image signifies all those who made profession of faith alone and were interiorly evil, the laity and common people as well as the clergy and the learned, who by means of reasonings and entreaties [to the effect] that faith alone is the sole means of salvation led others to receiving that faith and living in accordance therewith. These two were sent away alive into the lake of fire burning with sulphur signifies that all those, just as they were, were cast into the hell where there are the loves of untruth and at the same time the lusts of evil. 21. And the rest were slain by the sword of the One sitting upon the horse, proceeding out of His mouth signifies that all [who are] of the various heresies among the Reformed who have not lived in accordance with the Lord's precepts in the Word that they were aware of, being judged out of the Word, perish. And all the birds were satiated with their flesh signifies that the infernal genii are nourished as it were upon the lusts of their evil, which are their own (propria).

THE EXPOSITION

[verse 1] 'After these things I heard as it were the voice of a great crowd in heaven saying, Hallelujah' signifies a thanksgiving, confession and celebration of the Lord by the angels of the lower heavens on account of the removal of the Babylonians. By 'a great crowd in heaven' are signified the angels of the lower heavens. By its voice saying Hallelujah' is signified a thanksgiving, confession and celebration of the Lord by them. By 'Hallelujah' in the Hebrew language is signified 'Praise God'. Thus it was a voice of thanksgiving, confession and celebration of the Lord from joy of heart, as is plain from these quotations:-

Bless Jehovah, O my soul, Hallelujah Ps. civ 35.

Blessed be Jehovah the God of Israel from everlasting to everlasting, and let all the people say, Amen Hallelujah Ps. cvi 48.

We will bless Jah from now and even for evermore, Hallelujah Ps. cxv 18.

Let every soul praise Jah, Hallelujah Ps. cl 6;

besides elsewhere, as Ps. cv 45; cvi 1; cxi 1; cxii 1; cxiii 1, 9; cxvi 19; cxvii 2; cxxxv 3; cxlviii 1, 14; cxlix 1, 9; cl 1. That it is on account of the rejection of the Babylonians is plain from the preceding chapter in which the Babylonians are treated of. Therefore it is said, 'After these things'. It is also plain from the things following in vers. 2 and 3 in this chapter. That those who are understood by 'a great crowd in heaven' are the angels of the lower heavens is established from verse 4 of this chapter, where it is said that 'the twenty-four elders and the four animals adored the One sitting upon the throne, saying, Amen Hallelujah', by whom are understood the angels of the higher heavens.