704. 'Doing signs to go away to the kings of the land and of the whole world to gather them together to the war of that great day of God Omnipotent' signifies protestations that their untruths are true, and the inciting of all in the whole of that Church who are in the same untruths to attack the truths of the New Church. That 'to do signs' is to testify and also to protest that a thing is true may be seen above (n. 598, 599), here that their untruths are true. By 'the kings of the land and of the whole world' are signified those who are principally in untruths derived from evil, here all who are in the same untruths in the whole Church; for 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 (n. 483). The Church is signified by 'the land' (n. 285), likewise by 'the world' (n. 551). By 'to go away to gather them together to the war' is signified to rouse them for the fight, or for attacking; for by 'the war' is signified a spiritual war that is of untruth against truth and of truth against untruth (n. 500, 586). This is for attacking the truths of the New Church, because it is termed 'the great day of God Omnipotent', and by that 'day' is signified the Lord's coming, and the New Church then. That this is signified there 'by the great day' will be seen below. It is said that 'the spirits of demons' are going to do this because by them are signified the lusts of falsifying truths and of reasoning out of untruths, concerning which [something was said] just above (n. 703). It is plain from these considerations that by 'the spirits of demons doing signs to go away to the kings of the land and of the whole world to gather them together to the war of that great day of God Omnipotent' are signified protestations by those who are understood by 'the dragon, the beast and the false prophet', of whom above (n. 701, 702), that their untruths are true, and all in the whole Church who are in the same untruths being roused up for attacking the truths of the New Church. [2] That by 'the great day of God Omnipotent' is signified the Lord's coming and the New Church then, is established from many passages in the Word, as from these:-
In that day Jehovah Only shall be exalted Isa. ii 11.
In that day Israel shall lean upon Jehovah, the Holy One of Israel in the Truth (veritas) Isa. x 20.
In that day the nations shall seek the Root of Jesse, and His rest shall be glory Isa. xi 10, 11.
In that day shall the eyes look back to the Holy One of Israel Isa. xvii 7, 9.
In that day they shall say, Lo, this is our God, for Whom we have waited that He should save us Isa. xxv 9.
My people shall recognise My Name, and in that day [that] I am He Who is speaking, behold Me Isa. lii 6.
Alas the great day of Jehovah, and there shall not be like it Jer. xxx 7.
Behold the coming days; in which I shall make a new covenant, and in which the city of Jehovah shall be built Jer. xxxi 27, 31, 38.
In those days I will make a just branch to grow up unto David Jer. xxxiii 15.
They shall not stand in the war of the day of Jehovah Ezek. xiii 5.
In that day shall Michael the great prince rise up, who stands for the sons of thy people. In that day shall everyone who shall be found written in the book be rescued Dan. xii 1.
In that day thou shalt call Me, my Husband. In that day will I make a covenant with them. In that day I will listen Hosea ii 16, 18, 21.
Behold I send Elijah before the great day of Jehovah comes Mal. iv 5 [H.B. iii 23].
In that day Jehovah shall preserve His people as a flock Zech. ix 16.
In that day Jehovah shall protect the inhabitants of Jerusalem [Zech. xii 8.
In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem] Zech. xiii 1.
Behold the day of Jehovah comes. One day that shall be known to Jehovah. In that day there shall be one Jehovah, and His Name one. In that day there shall be a great tumult. In that day there shall be upon the bells of the horses, Holiness to Jehovah Zech. xiv 1, 4, 6-8, 13, 20, 21.
Besides these passages there are many others in which by 'the day of Jehovah' the Lord's coming is understood, and the New Church from Him then, as in these: Isa. iv 2; xix 16, 18, 21, 24; xxii 20; xxv 9; xxviii 5; xxix 18; xxx 25, 26; xxxi 7; Jer. iii 16-18; xxiii 5-7, 12, 20; 14, 20, 27; Ezek. xxiv 26, 27; xxix 21; xxxiv 11, 12; xxxvi 33; Hosea iii 5; vi 1, 2; Joel ii 29 [H.B. iii 2]; iv [H.B. iii] 1, 4, 18; Obad. verse 15; Amos ix 11, 13; Micah iv 6; Hab. iii 2; Zeph. iii 11, 16, 19, 20; Zech. ii 11 [H.B. 15]; Ps. lxxii 7, 8, And 'that day' is called 'the day of Jehovah' (Joel i 15; ii 1, 2, 11; Amos v 13, 18, 20; Zeph. i 7, 14; li 2, 3; Zech. xiv 1; and elsewhere). Since there is the consummation of the age, that is, the end of the old Church, when there is the Lord's coming and the beginning of the New Church, therefore by the day of Jehovah in very many places is also signified the end of the former Church, and it is said that then [there will be] rumours, tumults and wars. These passages may be seen collected in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE LORD (n. 4, 5).
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