Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 565I heard one of the four animals saying, as with a voice of thunder,Come and see (6:1).And the angel took the censer and filled it from the fire of thealtar, and cast it into the earth; and there followed thunders and voicesand lightnings (8:5).The angel cried with a great voice, as a lion, and when he cried theseven thunders uttered their voices (10:3, 4).The temple of God was opened in heaven, and there was seen inthe temple the ark of the covenant; and there followed lightning andvoices and thunders (11:19).I heard a voice from heaven, as the voice of many waters, and asthe voice of great thunder (14:2).I heard the voice of a great multitude, and as the voice of manywaters, as the voice of vehement thunders, saying, Alleluia; for the Lordour God, the Almighty, hath received the kingdom (19:6).Moreover, since “thunders” and “lightnings” signify Divine truths,when Jehovah came down upon Mount Sinai to promulgate thesetruths:There were voices and lightnings, and also the voice of a trumpet(Exod. 19:16).That “the voice of a trumpet” signifies Divine truth in respect torevelation, see above (n. 55, 262):A voice out of heaven to the Lord was heard as thunder (John12:28, 29).That James and John were called Boanerges, sons of thunder(Mark in. 14, 17).274. And there were seven lamps of fire burning before thethrone, which are the seven spirits of God, signifies Divine truthitself united to Divine good, proceeding from the Lord’s Divinelove. This is evident from the signification of “seven” as being all