483. [verse 11] 'And he said unto me, Thou must prophesy again about (super) peoples and nations, and tongues and many kings' signifies that because it is so, the quality of those who are in faith alone must be further taught. That this is signified is plain from the things following, which treat as far as chapter xvii* of those who are in faith alone; and afterwards of the Roman Catholic form of religion, and after these of the casting out of the dragon, the beast and the false prophet into hell, and thus of the New Church in which the Only Lord will be worshipped. By 'to prophesy' is signified to teach (n. 8, 133), consequently by 'to prophesy again' to teach further; by 'peoples' are signified those who are in truths or untruths of doctrine, and by 'nations' those who are in goods or evils of life, concerning whom [something] follows; by 'tongues' are signified those who are exteriorly in them (n. 282); and by 'kings' are signified those who are interiorly in them. That by 'kings' are signified those who are in truths derived from good, and in the opposite sense those who are in untruths derived from evil, and abstractly truths derived from good or untruths derived from evil, may be seen (n. 20, 664, 704, 720, 830, 921); and because in what follows it treats specifically of those who are in interior untruths, it is said 'and many kings', by which are signified untruths of evil in abundance. 'Peoples', 'nations', 'tongues' and 'kings' are mentioned so that all who are such in the Church may be understood. Its being said to John that he 'must prophesy again' signifies so that it may be further taught what is the quality of those who are in faith alone, for the purpose of discovering and thus abolishing their untruths, since there is no abolition of any untruth before it has been discovered. [2] That 'peoples' signify those who are in truths or untruths of doctrine, and 'nations' those who are in goods or evils of life, can be established from many passages in the Word where peoples' and 'nations' are mentioned; but for the confirmation of this there shall be quoted here only passages where 'peoples' and 'nations' are mentioned together. This conclusion can be made from them, since in the Word in all the things thereof, collectively and separately, there is the marriage of the Lord and the Church, and consequently the marriage of good and truth, and 'peoples' have reference to truth, and 'nations' to good. That such a marriage exists in all the things of the Word collectively and separately, may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE SACRED SCRIPTURE (n. 80-90). [3] The passages in the Word are these:-
Woe to the sinful nation, to the people laden with iniquity Isa. i 4.
I will send him against a hypocritical nation, I will command him against the people of my wrath Isa. x 5, 6.
Jehovah smiting the people with an incurable plague, ruling the nations with anger Isa. xiv 6.
In that day shall a present be brought to Jehovah, a people torn asunder and plundered, and a nation delineated and trodden down Isa. xviii 7.
The strong people shall honour Thee, the city of the powerful nations shall fear Thee Isa. xxv 3.
Jehovah shall swallow up the covering over all the peoples, and the veil over all the nations Isa. xxv 7.
Come near, O nations, and hearken, O peoples Isa. xxxiv 1.
I have called thee for a covenant of the peoples, and for a light of the nations Isa. xlii 6.
Let all the nations he gathered together, and let the peoples assemble Isa. xliii 9.
Behold, I will lift up My hand to the nations, and My standard towards the peoples Isa. xlix 22.
I have given him for a witness to the peoples, a chief and a lawgiver to the nations Isa. lv 4, 5.
Behold, a people coming out of the land of the north, and a great nation from the sides of the land Jer. vi 22, 23.
Many peoples shall come, and numerous nations to seek Jehovah Zebaoth in Jerusalem Zech. viii 22.
Jehovah renders the counsel of the nations void, He overturns the thoughts of the peoples Ps. xxxiii 10.
Jehovah shall subdue the peoples under us, and the nations under our feet: Jehovah** has reigned over the nations, the willing ones of the peoples have been gathered together Ps. xlvii 3, 8, 9 [H.B. 4, 9, 10].
The peoples shall confess Thee, the nations shall be glad, for Thou art going to judge the peoples in uprightness, and lead the nations into the land Ps. lxvii 2-4 [H.B. 3-5].
Remember me, O Jehovah, in the good pleasure of Thy people, that I may rejoice in the gladness of Thy nations Ps. cvi 4, 5.
All peoples, nations and tongues shall worship the Son of Man Dan. vii 14.
Besides elsewhere, as Ps. xviii 43 [H.B. 44]; Isa. ix 2, 3 [H.B. 1, 2]; xi 10; Ezek. xxxvi 15; Joel ii 57; Zeph. ii 9; Rev. v 9; Luke ii 30-32. * This evidently means 'up to the end of chap. xvi'. Cf. n. 387, 717. ** Hebrew has 'God'.
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