Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 286“The root of Jesse” is the Lord; “to stand for a sign of the people”means that it may be seen by those who are in truths; “the nationswhich shall seek,” are those who are in the good of love. It isbelieved that “nations” here mean the nations that are to approachand acknowledge the Lord, from which is to be the church that iscalled the church of the Gentiles; but these are not meant by“nation” but all who are in love to the Lord and faith in him,whether within the church or out of it (see Heaven and Hell, n.308, 318–328).[7] In the same:A strong people shall honor thee, the city of the powerful nationsshall fear thee (Isa. 25:3).Open ye the gates, that the righteous nation may enter in. Thouhast increased the nation, O Jehovah, thou hast increased the nation,thou art glorified (Isa. 26:2, 15).Come near, ye nations, to hear; and hearken, ye peoples (34:1).I, Jehovah, have called thee in righteousness, for a covenant to thepeople, for a light of the nations (Isa. 42:6).In Jeremiah:The nations shall bless themselves in him, and in him shall theyglory (Jer. 4:2).Who will not fear thee, O king of nations? And in all theirkingdom there is none like unto thee (Jer. 10:7).In Daniel:I was seeing in the night visions, and behold with the clouds ofheaven one like the son of man. And there was given him dominion,and glory, and a kingdom; and all peoples, nations, and tongues shallworship him (Dan. 7:13–14).In David: