267. And behold, a throne was set in heaven, and upon the throne One sitting, signifies the Lord in respect to the Last Judgment. This is evident from the signification of "throne," which in general means heaven, in particular the spiritual heaven, and abstractly Divine truth proceeding from the Lord; it also signifies judgment, because all are judged by Divine truth; and also all who are in heaven (of which see above, n. 253). "That the One sitting upon the throne" is the Lord is clear; and that judgment belongs to the Lord alone He teaches in Matthew:
When the Son of man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, He shall sit on the throne of His glory; and before Him shall be gathered all the nations; and He shall separate them one from another, as the shepherd separateth the sheep from the goats (Matt. 25:31-32). And in John:
The Father judgeth no one, but hath given all judgment unto the Son; He hath given Him authority to execute judgment, because He is the Son of man (John 5:22, 23). Because no one is judged from Divine good but from Divine truth, therefore it is said "the Father judgeth no one, but the Son, because He is the Son of man;" for "the Father" signifies Divine good, and "the Son of man" Divine truth proceeding. (That "Father" signifies Divine good, see above, n. 254; and that "the Son of man" signifies Divine truth proceeding, see n. 53, 151.) Here "throne" signifies judgment because the arrangement of all things for judgment is treated of in this chapter (see above, n. 258).
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