Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 463

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463. And fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God.- That this signifies thanksgiving from humility of heart that so many were saved by the Lord, is evident from the signification of falling on the face and worshipping, as here denoting to give thanks from humility of heart. For falling on the face signifies humiliation of heart, because to fall on the face corresponds to that humiliation, and all the actions of the body correspond to the affections of the mind, so that they make one by correspondences. Thus "to fall on the faces before God" in worship makes one by correspondence with humiliation of the heart. Hence it was a solemn rite with the ancients, and still remains so amongst many nations, to fall on their faces in worship; but at this day in the Christian world, it is the custom merely to kneel. That worship here signifies thanksgiving that so many are saved, is evident from that which precedes, and that which follows; for the subject treated of is the salvation of those who have lived in good according to their religious faiths, although they have not been in genuine truths. Thanksgiving from the whole heaven, on this account, presently follows. It is said that they fell on their faces and worshipped God; and "to fall on the faces" denotes to manifest humiliation of heart from the good of love, while to worship God denotes to manifest humiliation of heart by means of truths from that good.


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