June 17

After these things, I saw, and behold, a crowd of many which no one could number, of every nation, and all tribes, and peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, arrayed with white robes, and palms in their hands, and crying out with a great voice, saying, Salvation to our God who sits upon the throne, and to the Lamb! And all the angels stood around the throne, and the elders, and the four animals, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshiped God, saying, Amen; blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honor, and power, and strength, be to our God, for ages of ages; amen. (Revelation 7:9-12)

After this I saw, and behold, a great multitude, which no one could number, signifies all the rest who are not of those enumerated, and yet are in the Lord’s New Heaven and New Church, being those who make the ultimate heaven and the external church, whose quality no one knows but the Lord alone…

Before the Lord, the whole heaven together with the church on the earth , is as one Man. And because it is as one Man, there are those there who make the head, and thus the face with all its organs of the senses; and there are those who make the body with all its members. Those who are enumerated above make the face with all its organs of the senses; but these now mentioned are those who make the body with all its members….

The Lord’s church is also internal and external. Those who are meant by “the twelve tribes of Israel” are those who make the Lord’s internal church, but they who are now mentioned are those who make the external church, and they cohere as one with those enumerated above as lower things with higher, thus as the body does with the head. Therefore the twelve tribes of Israel signify the higher heavens and also the internal church, but these [the crowd of many] signify the lower heavens and the external church. (Apocalypse Revealed 363.1-3)

Of every nation, and tribes, and peoples, and tongues, signifies all in the Christian world, who are in religion from good and in truths from doctrine. (Apocalypse Revealed 365)

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