Day 6: Friday, March 27

Matthew 26:58-68. But Peter followed Him from afar off up to the courtyard of the chief priest, and entering inside, sat with the attendants, to see the end. And the chief priests, and the elders, and the whole council, sought false witness against Jesus, so that they might put Him to death, and found none; though many false witnesses came, they found none. But at last two false witnesses, coming, said, This Man declared, I am able to undo the temple of God, and within three days to build it. And the chief priest standing up, said to Him, Answerest Thou nothing? What do these witness against Thee?

But Jesus was silent. And the chief priest answering said to Him, I adjure Thee by the living God, that Thou tell us if Thou be the Christ, the Son of God. Jesus says to him, Thou hast said; nevertheless I say to you, From henceforth you shall see the Son of Man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming on the clouds of heaven.

Then the chief priest rent his garments, saying, He has blasphemed; what further need have we of witnesses? See, now you have heard His blasphemy. What do you think? They answered and said, He is subject to death. Then did they spit in His face, and buffeted Him; and they hit Him, saying, Prophesy unto us, Christ, Who is he who smote Thee?

Apocalypse Explained 870. In respect to the Lord’s coming it is believed by some that the Lord will come again in person, and indeed, to accomplish the Last Judgment; and this because it is said in Matthew:

The disciples drew near, saying unto Jesus, Tell us what shall be the sign of Thy coming and of the consummation of the age (24:3).

And after the Lord had foretold to them the states of the church declining step by step even to its devastation and consummation, He said:

Then shall appear the sign of the Son of man; and they shall see the Son of man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and glory. Watch, therefore, for ye know not in what hour your Lord will come (verses 30, 39, 42; also in John 21:22).

But His coming does not mean here His coming in person, but that He was then to reveal Himself in the Word that He is Jehovah the Lord of heaven and earth, and that all who will be in His New Church which is meant by the New Jerusalem will adore Him alone; and to this end He has now opened the internal or spiritual sense of the Word, in which sense the Lord is everywhere treated of. This is the meaning also of:

His coming in the clouds of heaven with glory (Matt. 24:30; 26:64; Mark 13:26; 14:62; Luke 21:27).

That the “clouds of heaven” signify the Word in the letter, and “glory” its spiritual sense, may be seen above (n. 36, 594). Because He Himself is the Word, as He is called in John (1:1, 2, 14), therefore the revelation of Himself in the Word is “His coming.”

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