Apocalypse Revealed (Coulsons) n. 56

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56. 'Saying unto me, Do not be afraid' signifies revival, and adoration then from profound humiliation. That it is revival into life, follows from the immediately preceding things (n. 55) and that it is adoration from profound humiliation is plain, for he had fallen at the Lord's feet. And, because holy fear took possession of him when he had been revived, the Lord said, 'Do not be afraid'. Holy fear, which is sometimes conjoined with a sacred tremor of the interiors that are of the mind and sometimes with the hair standing on end, supervenes when life from the Lord enters in place of one's own life. One's own life is to look from oneself to the Lord, but life from the Lord is to look from the Lord to the Lord and yet as if from oneself. Whilst a man is in this life he sees himself as not anything, but he sees the Lord only. Daniel was in this holy fear when he saw the Man (vir) clothed in linen, whose loins had been girded with gold of Uphaz, his body like beryl, his face like lightning, his eyes like torches of fire, his arms and feet as the lustre of polished bronze, upon seeing whom Daniel became as dead, and a hand touched him, and it was said, 'Do not be afraid, Daniel' (Dan. x 5-12). Something similar was done to Peter, James and John when the Lord was transformed and seen in face as the sun and in garments as the light, in consequence of which they also fell upon their faces, and were sore afraid. Whereupon Jesus coming near touched them, saying 'Do not be afraid' (Matt. xvii 6, 7). Also the Lord said to the women who saw him at the sepulchre, 'Do not be afraid'. And the angel also, whose face was seen as lightning, and his garment as snow, said to those women, 'Do not be afraid' (Matt. xxviii 3-5). An angel also said to Zechariah, 'Do not be afraid' (Luke i 12, 13). In like manner an angel said to Mary, 'Do not be afraid' (Luke i 30). Also an angel said to the shepherds, round about whom the glory of the Lord shone, 'Do not be afraid' (Luke ii 9, 10). A like holy fear laid hold of Simon on account of the draught of fishes, and he therefore said, 'Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord'. But Jesus said to him, 'Do not be afraid' (Luke v 8-10); besides other places. These have been adduced so that it may be known why the Lord said, 'Do not be afraid' to John, and that by it revival is understood, and then adoration from profound humiliation.


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