Explanation of the deeper meaning of the Scenes from our 2025 New Church Day Pageant as they relate to Personal Rebirth or Regeneration.

Revelation 1:9-20 The process of regeneration in each of us. 

John on Patmos (verses 9-10)

John, representing the process of regeneration in each of us, finds himself “on the island of Patmos for the word of God and for the testimony of Jesus Christ.” In the internal sense, an “island” represents a state of external life, sometimes one of apparent isolation, where a person is distant from the genuine interior truths of heaven. This picture shows that regeneration often begins with a sense of separation or temptation—a wilderness-like state—where a person is prompted to seek the Lord more fully. John’s being “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day” means being in a state of spiritual enlightenment, where one’s inner sight is opened to the presence and message of the Lord (Apocalypse Revealed 33–36).

Hearing the Trumpet (verses 10-11)

A loud voice “as of a trumpet” signifies the powerful call of divine truths, which awaken and instruct the mind. The command to “write in a book and send it to the seven churches” represents the communication and reception of new truths that are to be applied to all aspects of one’s life (the seven churches symbolize all spiritual states within us—see more below) (Apocalypse Revealed 37–39).

Turning and Seeing the Son of Man (verses 12-13)

Turning to “see the voice” indicates an active response to the Lord’s call—a willingness to hear and obey. The “seven golden lampstands” are the states of the church (and our inner states of faith and love), which the Lord walks among. To see “One like the Son of Man” in their midst means that the Lord as the Divine Truth is present within and guides every stage of our spiritual development (Apocalypse Revealed 43–47).

Description of the Lord (verses 13-16)

The appearance of “the Son of Man” is full of deep correspondences:

• Clothed with a garment down to the feet: Signifies Divine Truth accommodated to every level of human understanding and life.
• Girded with a golden band: Love (goodness) is central to all truth.
• Head and hair white like wool: Pure Divine Love and wisdom; “white” symbolizes clarity and innocence.
• Eyes as a flame of fire: Divine love and wisdom searching and enlightening the mind.
• Feet like polished brass: Divine truth in the natural (everyday) level, purified by trial.
• Voice as many waters: Divine truth flowing through the heavens into our understanding.
• Seven stars in his right hand: The Lord’s power over the church and the angels, meaning guidance and protection of all spiritual states within us.
• Sword from his mouth: The truth of the Word which both defends and reveals—able to separate truth from falsity.
• Countenance like the sun: The Lord’s Divine Love shining in fullness (Apocalypse Revealed 47–54).

Falling as Dead and Being Raised by the Lord (verses 17-18)

John’s falling “at His feet as dead” shows the humility, awe, and holy fear we feel when coming into the presence of the Lord’s Divine Truth—recognizing our inability to regenerate ourselves. The Lord’s touch and assurances (“Do not be afraid…I am alive forevermore”) mean that when we humble ourselves, the Lord lifts us up and gives us new spiritual life, offering dominion over hell and evil (“the keys of Hades and Death”) (Apocalypse Revealed 55–58).

Seven Stars and Lampstands Explained (verse 20)

The “seven stars” are the angels (divine guidance, spiritual principles) of the “seven churches,” and the “seven lampstands” are the churches themselves (representing all varieties of spiritual states during regeneration). “Seven” throughout the Word means completeness; so all our spiritual conditions and the whole process of regeneration are addressed (Apocalypse Revealed 66).

In summary:

These verses symbolically describe the complete journey of spiritual rebirth:

• The initial feeling of separation or temptation
• The call and reception of new spiritual truths
• The acknowledgement that the Lord (Divine Truth and Love) is present in every stage of our progress
• The deep realisation of our need for the Lord, leading to humility and renewal by His touch
• The union of truth and goodness in the mind and heart, taking us through all the churches (states)
• The Lord guiding, empowering, and bringing light to every part of our spiritual journey

In essence, Revelation 1 is a vivid, symbolic portrait of how the Lord initiates, guides, and completes the process of regeneration in each of us (Apocalypse Revealed 33–66).

Revelation 4: “A Door Standing Open in Heaven…”

The Open Door and the Call Upward (Revelation 4:1-2):

The “door standing open in heaven” signifies the Lord providing access to deeper, heavenly truths and more interior spiritual states. The call to “Come up here” is the Lord’s invitation to rise above merely natural life, and enter into spiritual levels of understanding. Being “in the Spirit” means being receptive to spiritual enlightenment, a necessary beginning to real regeneration (Apocalypse Revealed 236-237).

The Throne and the One Who Sits upon It (4:2-3):

The throne represents the Lord’s Divine Government over all of heaven and the church, and, individually, over our hearts and minds when we make Him central. The beautiful appearance—jasper, sardius, rainbow—describes His Divine qualities: infinite wisdom, love, and mercy toward all.

The Twenty-Four Elders (4:4):

The elders symbolize all truths derived from good, both from the Old and New Testaments (12 tribes of Israel + 12 apostles). For us, they represent all the true principles we need to acquire and live by to be fully regenerated. Their white robes and golden crowns signify purification and wisdom from the Lord (Apocalypse Revealed 233).

Lightnings, Thunderings, Voices, and the Seven Lamps (4:5):

These represent the process by which God’s truth and inspiration reach us: Divine enlightenment (“lightnings”), perceptions (“thunderings”), and instructions or teachings (“voices”). The seven lamps (the seven Spirits of God) represent the fullness of Divine truth that enlightens every aspect of our spiritual being (Apocalypse Revealed 237).

The Sea of Glass (4:6):

The sea of glass, clear as crystal, represents the external level of our minds—the plane that receives outward spiritual truths (the “memory-knowledges”), which must become the foundation for higher spiritual development.

The Four Living Creatures (4:6–8):

They correspond to the deepest principles of a regenerate life:

• Lion: Divine truth in courage and power
• Calf (Ox): Innocence and action from charity
• Man: Wisdom and understanding
• Eagle: Clear spiritual perception

Full of eyes means full of intelligence and perception, constantly alive in acknowledging God’s holiness.

Perpetual Worship (4:8–11):

The elders and living creatures giving glory signify the continual acknowledgement that all life, wisdom, and regeneration come from the Lord alone, not from ourselves.

Revelation 5: “The Scroll… and the Lamb”

 The Scroll Sealed with Seven Seals (5:1-4):

The scroll (“book”) with seven seals stands for Divine Truth itself—the Word, and the spiritual laws written by the Lord. Its secrets are the deep mysteries of salvation and the steps of regeneration, hidden from us until the Lord opens them (Apocalypse Revealed 256).

No one is found worthy to open it, symbolizing that no person, spirit, or angel can fathom or enact regeneration without the Lord’s help.

The Lion of Judah and the Slain Lamb (5:5-6):

The “Lion of the tribe of Judah” is the Lord in His power and victory as Divine truth, and also His Divine love, overcoming all falsity and evil. The “Lamb as if slain” is a vivid image of the Lord’s innocence and willingness to be rejected and misunderstood, for our sake. The Lamb is the Lord’s Divine Human, who alone can reveal the way to regenerate and open the mysteries within us (Apocalypse Revealed 265, 270–271).

The Lamb’s seven horns and seven eyes mean that the Lord possesses all power and all knowledge everywhere, and His Spirit is with everyone, guiding all who will follow.

Worship of the Lamb and the New Song (5:7–14):

When the Lamb takes the book, this is the Lord’s union of His Divinity with His Humanity, accomplishing redemption and providing the means for our personal spiritual rebirth.
The new song signifies a new understanding of God and spiritual life open to humanity—the new potential for regeneration. The harps and incense are the internal worship and prayers of a regenerated person (Apocalypse Revealed 279).

Universal Praise (5:13–14):

Every creature praise Him who sits on the throne (the Lord’s Divinity) and the Lamb (His Divine Humanity), expressing the deepest realization that all life, all heavens, and all stages of regeneration flow from the Lord alone. Only through His love and wisdom, united in us, do we receive new spiritual life.

Summary of Regeneration as Portrayed in Revelation 4 & 5

These chapters symbolically map out the process of regeneration. They teach that:

• The Lord alone opens heaven and deeper truth to us.
• A true spiritual life requires us to rise above our natural selves, allowing the Lord’s government, qualities, and truths to govern within us.
• Regeneration involves receiving all forms of truth and goodness (the elders), living by them (the living creatures), and continually acknowledging that we are utterly dependent on the Lord.
• Only the Lord, as the Divine Human (the lamb), can open the “book” of our lives—transforming us by uniting Divinity and Humanity in Himself and, through that, in us.
• The result is ongoing worship (love in action) and acknowledgement from every part of our being, as we are brought into harmony with heaven and the Lord.

(Apocalypse Revealed 226–282; Apocalypse Explained 313–340, 375–395)

Revelation 12 – The Woman, the Child, and the Dragon

The Woman Clothed with the Sun:

The “woman” represents the New Church or genuine spiritual faith within an individual, clothed with the “sun” of love to the Lord, with “the moon under her feet” (truth of faith) and “twelve stars” (all spiritual truths or goods) crowning her (Apocalypse Revealed 707; Apocalypse Explained 707). In the regeneration process, she is the growing presence of true spiritual love and faith in us, which is about to bring forth a new birth—a new, ruling principle of spiritual life.

The Birth and the Dragon’s Opposition:

The “child” is the doctrine of the New Church—the acknowledgement of the Lord’s Divine Human and the necessity of a life according to His commandments. The “great red dragon” symbolises selfish rational thinking and especially the persuasion that simple belief or faith without charity is enough (faith separated from life)—the greatest obstacle to real spiritual rebirth (Apocalypse Revealed 537). The dragon’s attempt to devour the child shows how evils and falsities in us (and in the wider church) immediately struggle to resist and destroy newly conceived spiritual good and truth.

The Wilderness and Perseverance:

The woman fleeing to the wilderness pictures states where genuine spiritual faith (truth and good) seems isolated and threatened, but is protected and nourished by the Lord during temptations or vastations—difficult but crucial stages in regeneration. These are times when spiritual truths are preserved in our interiors even if, outwardly, temptation and doubt prevail.

The War in Heaven and the Dragon’s Defeat:

“Michael and his angels” fighting the dragon shows the inner spiritual battles fought in us between truths from the Lord (angels) and falsities from our former self (the dragon and his angels). The dragon being cast out marks the critical victory: when the Lord’s truth within us defeats the false reasoning and loves of self that once ruled our lives.

The Flood and the Earth: Helping the Woman:

The dragon’s flood of water is the assault of false reasoning and temptations meant to wash away our new faith. “The earth helping the woman” is the Lord’s providence, which assures that the fundamental truths we’ve acquired (the “earth”) protect and preserve what is essential until we reach spiritual maturity.

Ongoing Persecution:

Even as new spiritual life takes root, the “dragon” continues to attack those “who keep the commandments of God and have the testimony of Jesus,” reflecting the ongoing struggles with temptation that accompany a life of spiritual growth (Apocalypse Revealed 564–565).

Revelation 19 – Christ the Word on a White Horse

Vision of the Opened Heaven and the White Horse:

The “white horse” represents the understanding of Divine truth from the Lord’s Word (Apocalypse Revealed 820; Apocalypse Explained 355). The Rider—called “Faithful and True,” “The Word of God,” and “KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS”—is the Lord Himself in His Divine Humanity. His “eyes like a flame of fire” are Divine wisdom with love; the “many crowns” His complete Divine authority in all truths.

The Robe Dipped in Blood:

This represents the Lord’s Word as it is in the letter, often treated with contempt and misunderstood, but it is still the Lord present with power, even in apparent humility or suffering.

The Armies Following on White Horses:

These are those regenerated by the Lord, who follow Him in genuine intelligence—a life led by true understanding from the Word (Apocalypse Revealed 826).

The Sharp Sword:

The “sharp sword” from His mouth is Divine truth fighting and separating good from evil, truth from falsity, both in the world and within each person. He “rules with a rod of iron,” meaning that His truth governs firmly even at the level of natural understanding and life, giving the power to resist evil.

Summary: The Regeneration Journey

• Conception and Birth of Spiritual Life: New spiritual faith (the woman) brings forth a new principle (the child) which is immediately threatened by old loves and false beliefs (the dragon).
• Temptations and Spiritual Combat: These battles (the war in heaven) are fought between truths from the Lord and deeply ingrained falsities and selfishness. Success comes only from the Lord’s power.
• Preservation and Maturation: Even in times of dryness or temptation (the wilderness), the new life is preserved, nourished, and protected by Providence.
• Final Victory Through the Divine Human: The Rider on the white horse shows that true regeneration is accomplished only when we allow Divine Truth—the Lord as revealed in His Word—to lead us, judge us, and rule in our lives, conquering evil and bringing us into full spiritual freedom and joy.

This vision assures us that the Lord is present and victorious in every step of regeneration, overcoming all obstacles and drawing us ever closer to His heavenly kingdom within (Apocalypse Revealed 707–826; Apocalypse Explained 707–825; Heaven and Hell 533).

Revelation 21 & 22 – The Fulfilment of Regeneration

A New Heaven and a New Earth

“Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also, there was no more sea.”

The “new heaven” and “new earth” represent the complete renewal of our inner spirit (heaven) and outward life (earth) that comes as a result of regeneration. The passing away of the “first” heaven and earth means our old, self-centred states are put aside, making way for a spiritual mind and a new way of life. The disappearance of the “sea” signifies the end of confusion and the separation of external, worldly knowledge from true spiritual understanding (Apocalypse Revealed 876, 878).

The Holy City, New Jerusalem

“Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.”

The “holy city, New Jerusalem” is the ultimate picture of a fully regenerated person or church, where genuine faith (the bride) is intimately united with true love (the husband) in all aspects of life. It “comes down from God,” showing that this new state comes only from Divine influx and presence, not human effort. The city’s perfect order, beauty, and brightness represent the order and joy of heaven now present within the mind and heart (Apocalypse Revealed 879, 881).

God Dwelling with Us and the End of Suffering

“Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them… God will wipe away every tear… there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.”

The Lord’s “tabernacle” or dwelling signals perfect union: the Lord is truly present within us, and we become a living temple for Divine love and wisdom. All spiritual grief—separation, loss, and pain caused by evil and falsity—vanishes. “No more death” means no more spiritual separation from the Lord. All former troubles and temptations are left behind; sorrow turns into joy, and pain into peace (Apocalypse Revealed 882, 887).

All Things Made New and Inheriting the Water of Life

“Behold, I make all things new… I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts.”

Regeneration brings a complete transformation—a new heart, mind, and life. The “water of life” is the constant inflow of Divine truth and spiritual nourishment, given freely by the Lord to all who desire it. Those who persevere and “overcome” in the journey of regeneration are promised this inheritance: lasting happiness, wisdom, and union with God (Apocalypse Revealed 902, 932).

The River and Tree of Life

“He showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the middle of its street, and on either side of the river, was the tree of life, which bore twelve fruits… The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations.”

The “pure river” is the continual flow of new truths from the Lord into the soul of the regenerate. The “tree of life” represents the Lord Himself, giving perpetual spiritual nourishment and bearing twelve fruits—symbolizing the endless forms of good deeds and spiritual uses produced from a life united to Divine love. The “leaves” are the outer truths of the Word, which heal and protect all parts of our life and all kinds of people (Apocalypse Revealed 934, 935).

No More Curse: The Lord’s Throne and Eternal Light

“There shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. They shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads. There shall be no night there… for the Lord God gives them light. And they shall reign forever and ever.”

The “curse” (spiritual separation and danger) is ended. The Lord’s rule (“throne”) is established within the will and understanding are fully united to Him. To “see His face” means to know the Lord intimately, enjoying His presence in clear perception and love. His “name on their foreheads” is the mark of true identity with Divine character. There is no darkness or ignorance in this state; the Lord is our perpetual light, and we live with full spiritual freedom and power “forever and ever” (Apocalypse Revealed 950, 954, 958–960).

Summary: The Glorious End of Regeneration

Revelation 21 and 22 illustrate the fulfillment of the regeneration process:

• The complete transformation of heart and mind, making the soul and the life wholly new.
• Genuine faith and divine love joined together, forming heaven within us.
• The Lord is intimately present, removing all spiritual sorrow, doubt, and pain.
• Continuous nourishment with spiritual truth and good, bearing fruit in every part of life.
• A state of lasting enlightenment, peace, and joy, reigning with the Lord in eternal happiness.

This is the Lord’s promise for everyone who allows Him to lead them through spiritual rebirth (Apocalypse Revealed 876–962; Apocalypse Explained 876–961).