Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 994

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994. Verses 12-16. And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates; and the water thereof was dried up, that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared. And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast, and out of the mouth of the false prophet, three unclean spirits like unto frogs. For they are the spirits of demons, working signs to go forth to the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle of that great day of the Almighty. Behold I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. And he gathered them together unto a place called in the Hebrew Armageddon. "And the sixth angel poured out his vial upon the great river Euphrates," signifies the state of the church as to things rational, and thence as to intelligence: "and the water thereof was dried up," signifies that falsities were removed: "that the way of the kings from the rising of the sun might be prepared," signifies that Divine truth from the Lord may flow in. "And I saw out of the mouth of the dragon, and out of the mouth of the beast," signifies from the thought, reasoning, religion, and doctrine of those who are in faith alone, and in the confirmations of it from the natural man: "and from the mouth of the false prophet," signifies from the doctrine of faith separated from life, and of justification thereby, confirmed from the Word falsified: "three unclean spirits like unto frogs," signifies reasonings from mere falsities against Divine truths. "For they are spirits of demons," signifies false reasonings from hell: "working signs," signifies persuading by means of fallacies and sophistries: "to go forth to the kings of the earth, and of the whole world, to gather them together to the battle," signifies to excite dissensions and combats against truths, with all those who are of the church: "of that great day of the Almighty," signifies the last state of the church, when the Advent of the Lord and the Last Judgment take place. "Behold I come as a thief," signifies the Advent of the Lord and the Last Judgment: "blessed is he that watcheth," signifies the happy state of those who look to the Lord: "and keepeth his garments," signifies and who live according to His Divine truths: "lest he walk naked," signifies that he may not be without truths, and thence without good: "and they see his shame," signifies nor thence in filthy loves. "And he gathered them together unto a place called in the Hebrew Armageddon," signifies the state of combat from falsities against truths, arising from the love of self with the men of the church.


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