GENESIS

original: "vinum fecit..." This page begins mid-sentence, continuing a discussion on how the Divine manifests. He made wine, but rather through appearances. These were either manifest appearances—such as when He appeared to Abraham in Mamre, to Moses in the burning bush, to the Israelite people on Mount Sinai, and to Joshua when he entered the land of Canaan—or through appearances that were not as manifest, such as through inspirations. Through these inspirations comes the Word, and then through the Word itself; for the Lord is present in the Word, since everything in the Word is from Him and about Him, as has been shown many times before. This is the "appearance" signified here by the "sign of the Son of Man," which is the subject of this verse.

And then all the tribes of the earth shall mourn signifies that all those who are in the good of love and the truth of faith will be in grief. That "mourning" signifies this can be seen in Zechariah, chapter 12, verses 20–24 original: "Sachar: Cap: xii". That "tribes" signify all elements of good and truth, or love and faith, see entries 3858 and 3926. Consequently, they signify those who possess these qualities. They are called "tribes of the earth" because they signify those within the Church, as "the earth" signifies the Church (see entries 662, 1066, 1067, 1262, 1733, 1850, 2117, 2928, 3355).

And they shall see the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory signifies that the Word will then be revealed regarding its internal sense, in which the Lord is present. The "Son of Man" is the Divine Truth contained therein (see entries 2803, 2813, 3704). The "cloud" is the literal sense of the Word. "Power" is predicated of the good, and "glory" of the truth found within that sense. That these things are signified by seeing the Son of Man coming in the clouds of heaven, see the Preface to Genesis chapter 18. This is the "coming of the Lord" meant here—not that He will appear in physical clouds according to the literal letter. Now follows the description of the establishment of a new Church, which occurs when the old one is devastated and rejected.

He shall send His angels with a trumpet and a loud voice signifies election term: "election" — the process by which the Lord gathers those who are receptive to new spiritual life. This does not happen through visible angels, much less through physical trumpets and loud voices, but through the influx of holy good and holy truth from the Lord through angels. Therefore, in the Word, "angels" signify something of the Lord (see entries 1925, 2821, 3039); here, they signify things that come from the Lord and concern the Lord. By "a trumpet and a loud voice," the proclamation of the Gospel is signified, as it is elsewhere in the Word.

And they shall gather together the chosen from the four winds, from one end of heaven to the other signifies the establishment of a new Church. The "chosen" original: "electi" are those who are in the good of love and faith (see entries 3755 and 3900). The "four winds" from which they are gathered are all states of good and truth (see entry 3708). "From one end of heaven to the other" signifies the internal and external things of the Church. These, then, are the things signified by those words of the Lord.

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