Apocalypse Revealed (Whitehead) n. 332

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

332. And the sun became black as sackcloth of hair, and the moon became as blood, signifies the adulteration of all the good of love in them, and the falsification of all the truth of faith. That "the sun" signifies the Lord as to Divine love, and thence the good of love from Him; and in the opposite sense, the denial of the Lord's Divinity, and thence the adulteration of the good of love, may be seen above (n. 53). And as "the sun" signifies the good of love, "the moon" therefore signifies the truth of faith; for the sun is red from fire, and the moon is white from the light of the sun; and fire signifies the good of love, and light, the truth from that good. Concerning the moon, see also the passages adduced above (n. 53). It is said, "the sun became black as sackcloth of hair," because adulterated good in itself is evil, and evil is black; and the reason why it is said "the moon became as blood," is, because "blood" signifies the Divine truth, and in the opposite sense, the Divine truth falsified, as may be seen below (n. 379, 684). Nearly the same is said of the sun and moon in Joel:

The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah cometh (Joel 2:31).


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church