51. Verse 16. And having in His right hand seven stars, signifies all the knowledges of good and truth in the Word, which are thence with the angels of heaven and with the men of the church. Around the angels, when they are below the heavens, there appear, as it were, little stars in great abundance; and in like manner, around spirits, who, when they lived in the world, had acquired to themselves knowledges of good and truth, or truths of life and doctrine from the Word. These stars appear fixed, with those who are in genuine truths from the Word; but wandering with those who are in falsified truths. Concerning those little stars, as also concerning the stars which appear there in the firmament, I could relate wonderful things, but it does not belong to this work: hence it is evident that by "stars" are signified the knowledges of good and truth from the Word. "The Son of man had them in His right hand," signifies, that they are from the Lord alone through the Word. That "seven" signify all, may be seen above (n. 10). [2] That the knowledges of good and truth from the Word, are signified by "stars," may also appear from these passages:
I will lay the earth waste; The stars of the heavens and the constellations thereof shall not give their light (Isa. 13:9-10). "The earth" which shall be laid waste, is the church; which being vastated, the knowledges of good and truth in the Word do not appear:
And when I shall extinguish thee, I will cover the heavens and make the stars thereof dark: All the luminaries of light will I make dark over thee, and I will set darkness upon the land (Ezek. 32:7-8). "Darkness upon the land," means falsities in the church:
The sun and the moon have been darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their splendor (Joel 2:10; 3:15). After the affliction of those days shall the sun be obscured, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven (Matt. 24:29; Mark 13:24). The stars of heaven fell to the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs (Rev. 6:13). A star fell from heaven to the earth (Rev. 9:1). By "stars falling from heaven" are not meant stars, but that the knowledges of good and truth will perish. [3] This is still more evident from its being said, that:
The dragon drew down the third part of the stars from heaven (Rev. 12:4). Also that:
The he-goat cast down some of the stars and trampled them (Dan. 8:9-11). Therefore in the next verse in Daniel it is also said that:
It cast down the truth to the earth (Dan. 8:12). The knowledges of good and truth are also signified by "stars," in these passages:
Jehovah telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by names (Ps. 147:4). Praise Jehovah, all ye stars of light (Ps. 148:3). The stars fought in their ways (Judges 5:20). From hence it appears what is meant by these words in Daniel:
And the intelligent shall be resplendent as the splendor of the expanse, justifying many as the stars for ages of ages (Dan. 12:3). The "intelligent" are those who are in truths; "justifying" those who are in goods.
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