Revelation 15:1-8 Seven angels having the plagues

 15 And I saw another sign in heaven, great and marvellous, seven angels having the seven last plagues; for in them is filled up the wrath of God.

² And I saw as it were a sea of glass mingled with fire: and them that had gotten the victory over the beast, and over his image, and over his mark, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God.
³ And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints.
⁴ Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee; for thy judgments are made manifest.
⁵ And after that I looked, and, behold, the temple of the tabernacle of the testimony in heaven was opened:
⁶ And the seven angels came out of the temple, having the seven plagues, clothed in pure and white linen, and having their breasts girded with golden girdles.
⁷ And one of the four beasts gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials full of the wrath of God, who liveth for ever and ever.
⁸ And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God, and from his power; and no man was able to enter into the temple, till the seven plagues of the seven angels were fulfilled. -Revelation 15:1-8 Bible, King James Version (KJV)


Apocalypse Explained, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1757-9], tr. by John Whitehead [1911], at sacred-texts.com

925. EXPOSITION. Verse 1. And I saw another sign in heaven great and wonderful, seven angels having the seven last plagues, for in them was consummated the anger of God. 1. "And I saw another sign in heaven," signifies revelation by the Lord of the state of the church before the Last Judgment (n. 926); "great and wonderful," signifies from Divine omnipotence and providence (n. 927); "seven angels having the seven last plagues," signifies evils and falsities in the whole complex [doctrine], that have wholly devastated the church as to all its goods and truths, made manifest by the Lord by means of Divine truth (n. 928); "for in them was consummated the anger of God," signifies thus the end of the church (n. 929).

926. Verse 1. And I saw another sign in heaven, signifies revelation by the Lord of the state of the church just before the Last Judgment. This is evident from the signification of a "sign," as being revelation; also from the signification of "heaven," as being the Lord... A "sign" signifies revelation because by a "sign" are meant those things that were seen by John...; and the things seen by him involve arcana [or secrets] respecting the state of the church just before the Last Judgment. For in general, whatever appears in heaven has precisely the same appearance as the things which exist in our material world... There appear there gold, silver, copper, tin, lead, stones precious and not precious, soil, lands, mountains, hills, valleys, waters, fountains, and other things of the mineral kingdom. There appear paradises, gardens, forests, fruit trees of every kind, lawns, fields of grain, meadows filled with flowers, plants, and grasses of every kind; also things produced from these, as oils, wines, strong drinks, and other things of the vegetable kingdom. There appear animals of the earth, flying things of heaven, fishes of the sea, creeping things, and these of every kind, and so much like those on our earth that they cannot be distinguished. I have seen them, and could see no difference. [2] Still there is this difference, that the things seen in heaven are from a spiritual origin, but those seen in our world are from a material origin... It is said that they are from a spiritual origin because they exist from the Divine that proceeds from the Lord as a sun; and the Divine proceeding from the Lord as a sun is spiritual. For the sun there is not fire, but is the Divine love, which appears before the eyes of angels as the sun of the world appears before the eyes of men; and whatever proceeds from the Divine love is Divine and is spiritual. That which proceeds appears in general as light, and is felt as heat; and yet that light as well as the heat is spiritual. For that light is the Divine wisdom, and is called the Divine truth, and that heat is the Divine love, and is called the Divine good, consequently that light inwardly enlightens the understanding of angels, and that heat inwardly fills the will of angels with the good of love. From that origin are all things that exist in the heavens; and they appear in forms like those in our world... When the things pertaining to the wisdom of angels and to their love descend into the lower sphere in which angels are as to their bodies... they are manifested in such forms and types. These are correspondences... The things signified by them can be seen only by correspondences; and because they contain Divine arcana [or secrets], they cannot be seen unless the Lord reveals them. [4] It is called a "sign from heaven," which means revelation by the Lord. It is said "by the Lord" because heaven is the Lord. Heaven indeed consists of angels; and yet the angels are not heaven, but the Lord is heaven, for heaven is the Divine that proceeds from the Lord, and this is called the Divine good and the Divine truth, and from it the angels have all their love and wisdom. Angels are angels from love and wisdom, and they have love and wisdom from the Lord; and because these are from the Lord they are the Lord's, and are thus the Lord with them, as can be seen from the Lord's words to His disciples: That they are in the Lord and He in them (John 14:20); And that He hath His abode in them in the Word from Him (John 14:22-24)...

928. Seven angels having the seven last plagues, signifies evils and falsities in the whole complex [doctrine,] that have wholly devastated the church as to all its goods and truths, made manifest by the Lord by means of Divine truth... [2] That the church has been devastated as to all goods and truths can be seen from this, that the Christian Church has been divided from its beginning into two churches, one of which is depicted in Revelation by the dragon and the two beasts; and the other by the harlot sitting on the scarlet beast, and by Babylon. That which is depicted by the dragon and its two beasts is the church with the Reformed; and that which is depicted by the harlot and by Babylon is the church with the papists. The church with the Reformed [or Protestant Reformation (1517 – 1579)] has been devastated by faith alone; and the church with the papists [Roman Catholics] or by dominion over the souls of men, and over heaven. The devastation of this church as to all goods and truths therefrom is treated of in the seventeenth and eighteenth chapters; and the devastation of the church with the Reformed is described in the twelfth and thirteenth chapters, and further in the sixteenth chapter by "the seven angels having vials full of the anger of God." [3] That both churches have been devastated in respect to all goods and truths by evils and falsities can be clearly seen from the fact that scarcely anyone at this day knows that God is one and that He is the Lord, or knows what love to the Lord is, or what charity towards the neighbor is, and therefore what good works are..., what baptism is, what the Holy Supper is, what heaven and hell are, what the Word is, and many other things. And as all this is not known, goods and truths are concealed; and so far as worldly and bodily things are loved all these things are lightly esteemed and are even cast aside; and then evils enter in the place of goods, and falsities enter in the place of truths, and thus the church is devastated.

933. And over his image and over his mark and over the number of his name, signifies and that have not acknowledged the doctrine of faith separated from charity, or any quality of it. This is evident from the signification of "the beast," whose "image," "mark," and "number of name," are here mentioned, as being faith separated from charity, or faith without good works (see above, n. 773, 815); also from the signification of "his image," as being the doctrine of that faith (see n. 827); also from the signification of "mark," as being the acknowledgment and confession of that faith (see n. 838); also from the signification of "the number of his name," as being what is like it as to life and as to faith, thus its quality, also as being falsities in the whole complex [doctrine] (see n. 841, 845, 847). "To have victory over these" signifies to reject them in life and doctrine, which is effected by combat against the falsities that the followers of that faith offer in opposition. [2] ...At this day it is scarcely known what is meant by charity, and thus by good works, unless it be giving to the poor, enriching the needy, doing good to widows and orphans, and contributing to the building of temples, hospitals, and lodging houses; and yet whether such works are done by man and for the sake of reward is not known; for if they are done by man they are not good, and if for the sake of reward they are meritorious; and such works do not open heaven, and thus are not acknowledged as goods in heaven. In heaven no works are regarded as good except such as are done by the Lord with man, and yet the works that are done by the Lord with man appear in outward form like those done by the man himself, and cannot be distinguished even by the man who does them. For the works done by the Lord with man are done by man as if by himself; and unless they are done as if by himself they do not conjoin man to the Lord, thus they do not reform him. That man ought to do goods as if by himself may be seen above (n. 616, 864, 911).

940. Just and true are Thy ways, signifies that all the truths of heaven and the church are from Him... "Ways" signify truths because truths like ways lead man... This signification of "ways" is derived from the spiritual world, where all walk in ways according to their truths. Ways in that world are not prepared and directed from one place to another, as the ways in our world are; but they are opened to each one according to his truths, and these ways are such that he alone, and no one who is in other truths can see them. These ways lead them to the places whither they are to go, as towards the societies with which they are to be conjoined, or from which they are to be separated, and finally to the society where they are to remain. [2] When man's interior is purified from evils by his refraining from them and shunning them because they are sins, the internal which is above it, and which is called the spiritual internal, is opened. This communicates with heaven; consequently man is then admitted into heaven and is conjoined to the Lord. There are two internals with man, one beneath and the other above. While man lives in the world he is in the internal which is beneath and from which he thinks, for it is natural. This may be called for the sake of distinction the interior. But the internal that is above is that into which man comes after death when he enters heaven. All angels of heaven are in this internal, for it is spiritual. This internal is opened to the man who shuns evils as sins; but it is kept closed to the man who does not shun evils as sins. [3] This internal is kept closed to the man who does not shun evils as sins, because the interior, that is, the natural internal, until man has been purified from sins, is a hell; and so long as there is a hell there heaven cannot be opened; but as soon as hell has been removed it is opened. But let it be known that in the measure in which the spiritual internal and heaven are opened to man, the natural internal is purified from the hell that is there. This is not done at once, but successively by degrees. All this makes clear that man from himself is hell, and that man is made a heaven by the Lord, consequently that he is snatched out of hell by the Lord, and raised up into heaven to the Lord, not immediately, but mediately...

941. Thou King of saints, signifies because He is the Divine truth... Because the Divine truth proceeds from the Lord He is the Divine truth, since that which proceeds from anyone is himself. This may be illustrated from the angels, from whom a spiritual sphere proceeds, which is from the affection of their life; that same affection that is in them proceeds or is spread abroad to a distance from them, and by this others can recognize what they are and where they are. And as the sphere that proceeds from them is the same as the affection of their life that is in them, they are themselves their own sphere or proceeding affection. But from the Lord as a sun the Divine which fills the whole heaven and which makes heaven proceeds; and this Divine is called the Divine truth. From this it is clear that the Lord is the Divine truth. [2] When the spiritual internal is opened, and through it communication with heaven and conjunction with the Lord are given, then man becomes enlightened. He is enlightened especially when he reads the Word, because the Lord is in the Word, and the Word is the Divine truth, and the Divine truth is light to angels... The light of heaven does not flow into those not purified. And as the understanding is perfected the falsities of religion and of ignorance and all fallacies are dispersed.

942. Verse 4. Who shall not fear Thee, O Lord, signifies the worship of the Lord from the good of love... [2] After a man has been admitted into heaven by the opening of his internal, and receives light therefrom, the same affections that angels of heaven have, with their pleasures and delights, are communicated to him. The first affection then granted is the affection of truth; the second is the affection of good; and the third is the affection of bringing forth fruit...

943. And glorify Thy name, signifies the worship of the Lord from truths from that good... This is evident from the signification of "glorifying the Lord's name," as being to worship Him from truths that are from good... and "to glorify Him," or "to give glory to Him," signifies to live according to His Divine truths... He has the affection of bringing forth fruit when he loves to do goods and to be serviceable. All heavenly joy is in these affections and from them...

944. For Thou only art holy, signifies because He is good itself and truth itself, consequently all good and truth are from Him. This is evident from the signification of "holy," as being the Divine that proceeds from the Lord, for this alone is holy, and is called the Divine good united to the Divine truth. And as this proceeds from the Lord it is Himself; for that which proceeds is from that which is in Him, and therefore it is Himself. This is why the Lord is the Divine good itself and the Divine truth itself. [2] ...Respecting the heat and light that proceed from the Lord as a sun in heaven. The Lord there as a sun is the Divine love; and the heat proceeding therefrom is the Divine good; and the light proceeding therefrom is the Divine truth. The heat that proceeds, which is the Divine good, is the Divine love in its extension; and the light that proceeds, which is the Divine truth, is a modification or interior action of this in substances that are outside of Him. These substances, in which this modification takes place, are the spiritual atmospheres, from which the angels breathe and live. [3] As like things in the world are analogous correspondences, so "fire" signifies in the Word love, "heat" the Divine good, and "light" the Divine truth. The difference is that as the heat and light of heaven vivify spiritual essences, so the heat and light of the world vivify natural essences. And yet the heat and light of the world do not vivify from themselves, but from the heat and light of heaven, thus from the Lord. All this has been said to make known that the Lord is the Divine good itself and the Divine truth itself; thus He only is holy. [4] Into this state the man comes who shuns evils because they are sins, and looks to the Lord; and so far as he comes into this state he turns away from and detests evils as sins, and acknowledges in heart and worships the Lord only, and His Divine in the Human...

947. Verses 5, 6. And after these things I saw, and behold the temple of the tabernacle of the Testimony in heaven was opened; and there came out of the temple seven angels, that had the seven plagues, clothed in linen clean and bright, and girded about the breasts with golden girdles. 5. "And after these things I saw, and behold the temple of the tabernacle of the Testimony in heaven was opened," signifies interior Divine truth in the Word, revealed by the Lord (n. 948). 6. "And there came out of the temple seven angels that had the seven plagues," signifies consequent manifestation of all evils and the falsities therefrom, and of all falsities and the evils therefrom, that have devastated the church (n. 949); "clothed in linen clean and bright," signifies by means of the Divine truth, or the Word in the spiritual sense (n. 950, 951); "and girded about the breasts with golden girdles," signifies Divine spiritual good holding truths in order and connection (n. 952).

948. Verse 5. And after these things I saw, and behold the temple of the tabernacle of the Testimony in heaven was opened, signifies the interior Divine truth in the Word revealed by the Lord... [2] What now follows in this chapter treats of the Word interiorly revealed, before the church has been wholly devastated. For the following chapter treats of its full devastation, which is described by "the seven angels having seven vials full of the anger of God," and by their "casting them unto the earth." The Word is revealed interiorly, that is, as to the spiritual sense, before the church has been fully devastated, because then the New Church will be established into which those who are of the former church are invited; and for the New Church interior Divine truth is revealed... A like thing is now done as was done at the end of the Jewish Church; for at its end, which was when the Lord came into the world, the Word was opened interiorly; for when the Lord was in the world He revealed interior Divine truths that were to be for the use of a New Church about to be established by Him and that did serve that church. For like reasons the Word has been opened interiorly at this day, and still more interior Divine truths have been revealed therefrom for the use of the New Church, that will be called the New Jerusalem. [3] What the Divine providence of the Lord was in revealing Divine truths can be seen from the successive establishment of churches. There have been several churches on our globe one after another. There was the Most Ancient, that was before the flood; there was the Ancient, that was after the flood; then the Hebrew; and then the Israelitish; after this the Christian; and now the New Church is beginning. Inmost Divine truths were revealed to those who were of the Most Ancient Church; more external Divine truths were revealed to those of the Ancient Church; and most external... Divine truths to the Hebrew Church, and afterwards to the Israelitish, with which church all Divine truth finally perished, for at last there was nothing in the Word that had not been adulterated. But after the end of the Israelitish Church interior Divine truths were revealed by the Lord for the Christian Church, and now still more interior truths for the church that is to come. These interior truths are such as are in the internal or spiritual sense of the Word. All this makes clear that there has been a progression of Divine truth from inmosts to [outmost], thus from wisdom to mere ignorance; and that now there is a progression of it from [externals] to interiors, thus from ignorance again to wisdom...

950. Clothed in linen clean and bright, signifies by means of the Divine truth or the Word from the spiritual sense. This is evident from the signification of "linen," as being truth, and in reference to the Lord or the Word, as being the Divine truth. This is called "clean" because it is genuine, and is called "bright" from the light in heaven, which light is brightness, since from it all things there are bright. The Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord is what appears to the eyes of angels as light, for the reason that the Divine truth enlightens their understanding; and what enlightens the understanding of angels is light to their eyes. Such is the Divine truth in heaven, and such is the Word in its spiritual sense; while Divine truth on the earth is such as the Word is in the sense of the letter, in which there are few genuine truths like those in heaven, but there are appearances of truth... Nevertheless in these appearances of truth genuine truths like those in heaven lie stored up; for these are what are contained in the spiritual sense of the Word. All this makes clear that the words "there came out of the temple angels clothed in linen clean and bright" signify that the evils and falsities that have devastated the church were made manifest by the Divine truth, or the Word from its spiritual sense. [2] There are many reasons why the spiritual sense of the Word has now been disclosed. First, because the churches in the Christian world have falsified all the sense of the letter of the Word, and this even to the destruction of the Divine truth in heaven, by which heaven has been closed up. In order, therefore, that heaven may be opened it has pleased the Lord to reveal the spiritual sense of the Word, in which sense is the Divine truth such as it is in heaven. For through the Word there is the conjunction of man with the Lord, and thus with heaven. When the Word is falsified even to the destruction of its genuine truth the conjunction perishes, and man is separated from heaven. In order, therefore, that he may again be conjoined with heaven, Divine truth such as it is in heaven has been revealed; and this has been confirmed by the spiritual sense of the Word, in which is that Divine truth. The second reason is that the falsities that have inundated and devastated the church can be dissipated only by means of the genuine truth laid open in the Word. Falsities and the evils therefrom and evils and the falsities therefrom can be seen in no other way than from truths themselves. For so long as genuine truths are not present, falsities and evils appear as in a kind of light. This light they have from confirmations by reasonings from the natural man, and by the sense of the letter explained... But when genuine truths are present, then first falsities and evils appear; for the light of heaven, which is in genuine truths, dissipates the delusive light of falsities and turns it into darkness. The third reason is, that, by means of the Divine truths of the Word that are in its spiritual sense, the New Church, which is meant by "the Holy Jerusalem" in Revelation, may be conjoined with heaven. For the Word is conjunction; but conjunction is effected only when man perceives the Word in a similar way as the angels perceive it...[3] "Thou shalt not make to thee other gods" includes not loving self and the world above all things; for that which one loves above all things is his god. There are two directly opposite loves, love of self and love to God, also love of the world and love of heaven.... He who loves himself above all things sinks his affections and thoughts in the body, and thus... he cannot be raised up by the Lord; and... he is in corporeal ideas and in pleasures that pertain solely to the body, and thus in thick darkness as to higher things; while he who is raised up by the Lord is in light. He who is not in the light of heaven but in thick darkness, since he sees nothing of God, denies God and acknowledges as god either nature or some man, or some idol, and even aspires to be himself worshiped as a god. From this it follows that he who loves himself above all things worships other gods... The love of self means especially the love of domineering over others from the mere delight in ruling and for the sake of eminence, and not from the delight in uses and for the sake of the public good; while the love of the world means especially the love of possessing goods in the world from the mere delight in possession and for the sake of riches, and not from the delight in uses from these and for the sake of the good therefrom...

951. ...All angels appear clothed according to their functions; for the garments in which they go clothed correspond to their ministries, and in general to their interiors. The angels who are wise from Divine truth appear in white garments of muslin, lawn, or linen, because "muslin," "lawn," and "linen," correspond to the truths in which they are... [8] It is not believed in the world that the love of ruling from the mere delight of ruling, and the love of possessing goods from the mere delight of possession, and not from the delight of uses, conceal in themselves all evils, and also a contempt for and rejection of all things pertaining to heaven and the church; and for the reason that man is stirred up by the love of self and the love of the world to doing good to the church, the country, society, and the neighbor, by making good deeds honorable and looking for reward...  [9] ...Let him consider that the love of ruling from the delight of ruling, and not from the delight of uses, is wholly devilish... This a man does not know so long as he lives in the world; but he will know that it is so when he comes into the spiritual world, as he does immediately after death. Hell is full of such, where instead of having dominion they are in servitude. Moreover, when they are looked at in the light of heaven they appear inverted, with the head downwards and the feet upwards...

953. Verses 7, 8. And one of the four animals gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the anger of God, who liveth unto the ages of the ages. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power; and no one was able to enter into the temple till the seven plagues of the seven angels should be consummated. 7. "And one of the four animals gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the anger of God, who liveth unto the ages of the ages," signifies all the falsities of evil that have destroyed the spiritual life of the men of the church made manifest by the Lord by means of the Divine truth or the Word (n. 954). 8. "And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power," signifies the Divine truth or the Word in the natural sense in light and power from the Divine truth in the spiritual sense (n. 955); "and no one was able to enter into the temple," signifies that it is in obscurity before the understanding (n. 956); "till the seven plagues of the seven angels should be consummated," signifies until evils and falsities have been rejected, and those who are in them cast into hell (n. 957).

954. Verse 7. And one of the four animals gave unto the seven angels seven golden vials, full of the anger of God, who liveth unto the ages of the ages, signifies all the falsities of evil that have destroyed the spiritual life of the men of the church made manifest by the Lord by means of the Divine truth or the Word. This is evident from the signification of "the four animals," as being the inmost heaven (see n. 277, 322, 462), and as being the Word (n. 717), consequently the Lord as to heaven and the Word, for heaven is heaven from the Lord, and the same is true of the Word... These are said to be "full of the anger of God, who liveth unto the ages of the ages," because these devastate the church and destroy the spiritual life of the men of the church... When evils have been removed heaven is opened, and when heaven is opened man no longer thinks from self but from the Lord through heaven; and that there is a God and that God is one is the universal principle in heaven which comprises all things... Man's interior thought, which is the thought of his spirit, is either from hell or from heaven; it is from hell before evils have been removed, but from heaven, when they have been removed. When this thought is from hell man sees no otherwise than that nature is God, and that the inmost of nature is what is called the Divine. When such a man after death becomes a spirit he calls anyone a god who is especially powerful; and also himself strives for power that he may be called a god. All the evil have such madness lurking inwardly in their spirit. But when a man thinks from heaven, as he does when evils have been removed, he sees from the light in heaven that there is a God...

955. Verse 8. And the temple was filled with smoke from the glory of God and from His power, signifies the Divine truth or the Word in the natural sense, in light and power from the Divine truth in the spiritual sense... "Smoke" has this signification because smoke is from fire, and "fire" signifies love in both senses, and "holy fire" celestial love... [4] When a man shuns and turns away from evils because they are sins, he not only sees from the light of heaven that God is and that God is one, but also that God is Man... Thus did the ancients before Abraham and after him see God;  ...and thus do the inhabitants of all earths see God... The reason of this is that... the whole heaven is a man in the largest form, and the Divine that proceeds from the Lord is what makes heaven; consequently to think otherwise of God than according to that Divine form, which is the human form, is impossible to angels, since angelic thoughts pervade heaven. (That the whole heaven [is] one Man may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 51-86; and that the angels think according to the form of heaven, n. 200-212.)