H . and which forms the subject of a small treatise published in London in 1/58, a new heaven was formed from among VI PREFACE. Christians, from those only, however, who admitted the Lord to be the God of heaven and earth, according to his own words in Matthew xxviii. 18 ; and likewise repented in the world of their evil works : from this heaven the New Church on earth, which is the New Jerusalem, descends, and will continue to descend. That this Church will acknowledge the Lord only is evident from these words in the Apocalypse : " There came unto me one of the seven angels, and talked with me, saying, Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb's wife, and he shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God." And in another place : " Let us be glad and rejoice, for the time of the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready; blessed are they which are called unto the marriage sup- per of the Lamb" (chap. xix. 7, 9). That there will be a new heaven, and that the New Church will descend from thence upon earth, is evident from the following words, in the same book : " I saw a new heaven and a new earth : and I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband ; and he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new ; and he said unto me, Write, for these words are true and faithful" (chap. xxi. 1,2,5); the new heaven means a new heaven from among Chris- tians j the New Jerusalem means a new church upon earth, which will make one with that new heaven j the Lamb, means the Lord as to the Divine Humanity. PREFACE. vii To this something shall be added by way of illustration : the Christian heaven is below the ancient heavens ; into this heaven, from the time of the Lord's abode in the world, were admitted those who worshiped one God under three persons, and who did not at the same time enter- tain an idea of three Gods; and this, by reason of a trinity of persons being received throughout the whole Christian world; but they, who entertained no other idea of the Lord's Humanity, than as of the humanity of another man, could not receive the faith of the New Jerusalem, which is, that the Lord is the only God in whom there is a trinity; these latter, therefore, were separated and removed; it was given me to see their separation and removal after the last judgment. For upon a just idea of God, the universal heaven, and the church universal on earth, are founded, and in gene- ral the whole of religion; for by that idea there is con- junction, and by conjunction, light, wisdom, and eternal happiness. Any one may see that the Apocalypse could no how be explained but by the Lord alone, since every word of it contains arcana, which never could be known with- out some special illumination, and consequent revelation; wherefore it has pleased the Lord to open the sight of my spirit and to teach me. It must not therefore be supposed that I have given any explication of my own, nor that even of any angel, but only what I have had Vlll PREFACE. communicated to me from the Lord alone. The Lord said, moreover, by an angel unto John : " Seal not the words of the prophecy of this book" (chap. xxii. 10); by which is signified, that they are to be manifested and laid open. Amsterdam, 1766. A COMPENDIUM DOCTRINES OP THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH AND RELIGION. BABYLON, or the Roman Catholic Religion, being treated of in the Apocalypse, in chapters xvii. xviii. and xix., it is expe- dient, at the commencement of these explications, to say something concerning its doctrines, and that in the following order : On Baptism ; on the Eucharist or Holy Supper ; on Masses ; on Repentance ; on Justification ; on Purgatory ; on the Seven Sacraments ; on the Saints ; and on Power. (f I. On BAPTISM, they teach : that Adam, after the sin of disobedience, was wholly changed for the worse, both as to soul and body ; that this sin was transfused into the whole human race ; that this original sin is only taken away by the merit of Christ ; and that the merit of Christ is applied by the sacrament of baptism ; and that thus the whole guilt of original sin is taken away by baptism; that concupiscence nevertheless remains in the baptized as an incentive to sins, but not sin itself; that thus they put on Christ, become new creatures, and obtain a full and complete remission of sins. Baptism is called the laver of regeneration and of faith. That the baptized, when they grow up, are to be questioned con- cerning the promises made by their sponsors ; which is the SACRAMENT OF CONFIRMATION. That by reason of lapses after baptism, the sacrament of repentance is necessary. VOL. I. B '-' DOCTRINES OF THE " II. ON THE EUCHARIST OR HOLY SUPPER. That im- mediately after consecration, the real body and blood of Jesus Christ are truly and substantially comprehended under the form of bread and wine, together with his soul and divin- ity ; the body under the form of bread, and the blood under the form of wine, by virtue of the words : but the body itself under the form of wine, and the blood under the form of bread, and the soul in both, by virtue of a natural connexion and concomitance, whereby the parts of the Lord Christ are united together, and the divinity by reason of its admirable hypostatic union with the body and soul ; thus that they are as fully comprehended under one form as under both ; in a word, that the whole and entire Christ exists under the form of the bread and under every part of that form ; and the whole of him also under the form of the wine and all its parts ; that therefore the two forms are separated, and the bread is given to the laity, and the wine to the clergy. That water is to be mixed with wine in the cup. That the laity are to receive the communion from the clergy, and the clergy from themselves. That the real body and the real blood of Christ, after consecra- tion, is in the host in the consecrated particles ; and that therefore the host is to be worshiped when it is shewn and carried about. That this wonderful and singular conversion of the whole substance of the bread into body, and of the whole substance of the wine into blood, is called transubstan- tiation. That the communication of both forms, under certain conditions, may be granted by the pope. It is called super- substantial bread, and the bread of angels, which these eat without any veils : it is called moreover spiritual food 5 also the antidote by which they are released from their sins. "III. On MASSES. It is called the sacrifice of the mass, because the sacrifice by which Christ offered up himself to God the Father, is represented thereby under the form of bread and wine ; that thence it is a sacrifice truly propitiatory, pure, and altogether holy. That if the people do not communicate ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION. 3 sacramentally, but only the minister, in such case the people communicate spiritually, because the ministers do it, not for themselves only, but for all the faithful who appertain to the body of Christ. That mass ought not to be performed in the vulgar tongue, because it contains the great learning of the faithful people ; but that the ministers may declare something concerning it on the Lord's day. That it is ordained, that some things which are mystical should be pronounced with a lower, and other things with a louder, voice ; and, for the purpose of giving a majesty to so great a sacrifice which is offered to God, there should be lights, incense, garments, and other things of a like nature for the occasion. That it is to be offered up for the sins, penalties, satisfactions, and all the necessities of the living ; and also for the dead. That masses in honour of the saints are thanksgivings for their intercession when they are implored. "IV. ON REPENTANCE. That besides baptism there is a sacrament of repentance, whereby the benefit of the death and merit of Christ is applied to those who lapse after baptism ; therefore it is called a kind of laborious baptism. That the parts of repentance are contrition, confession, and satisfaction. That CONTRITION is the gift of God, and the impulse of the Holy Ghost, not yet inhabiting, but only moving the con- trite person, therefore it is a disposing. That CONFESSION ought to be made of all mortal sins, even the most secret, and of the intentions ; that sins which are withheld from con- fession are not forgiven, but that those which after search do not occur, are included in confession ; that confession ought to be made at least once a year : that absolution of sins is to be given by the ministers of the keys, and that they are remitted on their saying, I ABSOLVE; that absolution is like the act of a judge when sentence is pronounced; that the more grievous sins are to be absolved by bishops, and the still more grievous by the pope. That SATISFACTION is made by satisfactory punishments imposed by the minister at dis- 4 DOCTRINES OF THE cretion, according to the measure of the offence ; that when eternal punishment is remitted, then temporal punishment is remitted also. That the power of INDULGENCES is left by Christ to the church, and that the use of them is highly salutary. "V. ON JUSTIFICATION. That a translation cannot be ef- fected from that state in which man is born a son of Adam, to a state of grace through the second Adam the Saviour, without the washing of regeneration and faith, or without baptism. That the second beginning of justification is from preventing grace, which is a calling, with which man co-operates by converting himself. That disposition is produced by faith, when man believes those things to be true which are revealed, to which he is freely moved ; also by hope, when he believes that God is propitious for the sake of Christ ; and by charity, in consequence whereof he begins to love his neighbour, and to hate sin. That justification, which follows, is not only remission of sins, but sanctification, and renovation of the inner man ; that at this time the justified are not reputed just, but that they are just, receiving righteousness in them- selves ; and because they accept the merit of Christ's passion, justification is inserted by faith, hope, and charity. That faith is the beginning of human salvation, the foundation and root of justification, and that this is to be justified by faith : and because none of those things which precede justification, whether they be of faith or works, merit the grace of justifi- cation, that this is to be justified gratis, for there is a pre- venting grace ; and that still man is justified by works, and not by faith alone. That the just may fall into light and venial sins, and that still they are just ; and that therefore the just ought continually to labour by prayers, oblations, alms, fastings, lest they should fall, because they are born again to the hope of glory, and not to glory. That the just, if they fall from the grace of justification, may be justified again by the sacrament of repentance : that by any mortal sin grace ROMAN CATHOLIC RELIGION. 5 is lost, but not faith, but that faith also is lost by infidelity, which is recession from religion. That the works of a justified man are merits ; and that the justified, by such, which are done by them through the grace of God and the merit of Christ, merit everlasting life. That FREE-WILL was not lost and extinguished after the sin of Adam ; and that man may co-operate, by assenting to the calling of God; and that otherwise he would be an inanimate body. They establish PREDESTINATION, by saying, that no one knows whether he is in the number of the predestinate, and among those whom God has chosen to himself, except by special revelation. "VI. ON PURGATORY. That all the guilt from which men are to be purified by temporal punishment is not blotted out by justification, that therefore all go to purgatory to be purified, before they can be admitted into heaven. That the souls there detained are assisted by the suffrage of the faithful, and particularly by the sacrifice of the mass ; and that this is diligently to be taught and preached." The torments there endured are, variously described, but they are mere inventions and fictions. "VII. ON THE SEVEN SACRAMENTS. That there are seven sacraments, baptism, confirmation, the eucharist, repentance, extreme unction, order, and matrimony; that there are neither more nor less ; that one is of greater dignity than another ; that they contain grace ; and that from the work operated by them grace is conferred : that there were the same number of sacraments of the ancient law. Baptism, confir- mation, the eucharist, and repentance have been treated of above. ON THE SACRAMENT OF EXTREME UNCTION: That it is founded on the epistle of James, chap. v. 14, 15 ; that it is to be administered to the sick at their lives' end, whence it is called the sacrament of the departing ; that if they recover, it may be applied again ; that it is to be performed with oil consecrated by the bishop, and with these words : ( May God grant theehis indulgence for whatsoever offence thou hast com- DOCTRINES OF THE mitted through the fault of the eyes, of the nostrils, or of the feeling/ ON THE SACRAMENT OF ORDER : That there are seven orders in the ministry of the priesthood, which differ in dignity, and all together are called the ecclesiastical hierarchy, which is like the order of an encampment ', that inaugurations into the ministry are to be effected by unctions, and by trans- ferring of the Holy Spirit upon them. That the secular power or consent, calling or authority of the magistrate is not requisite for the ordination of bishops and priests ; that they who ascend to the ministry only by the appointment of their calling, are not ministers, but thieves and robbers, who do not enter in by the door. ON THE SACRAMENT OF MA- TRIMONY. That a dispensation of degrees and divorces belongs to the church. That the clergy are not to contract matri- mony. That all of them may have the gift of chastity, and if any one saith he cannot, when nevertheless he had made a vow, let him be anathema, because God doth not refuse it to those who ask it properly, and doth not suffer any one to be tempted beyond what he is able to bear. That a state of virginity and celibacy is to be preferred to the conjugal state; besides other things of the same nature. "VIII. ON THE SAINTS. That the saints reigning together with Christ offer up their prayers to God for men ; that Christ is to be adored, and the saints to be invoked ; that the invocation of saints is not idolatrous, nor derogatory to the honour of the one Mediator between God and men ; it is called Latria. That images of Christ, of Mary the mother of God, and of the saints, are to be revered and honoured, not that it is to be supposed they possess any divinity or virtue, but because the honour which is paid to, them is referred to the prototypes which they represent; and that by the images which they kiss, and before which they kneel and uncover their heads, they adore Christ and venerate the saints. That the miracles of God are performed by the saints. "IX. ON POWER. That the Roman Pontiff is the successor ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH. / of the apostle Peter, and vicar of Jesus Christ, the head of the church, and the universal bishop ; that he is superior to councils; that he hath the keys for opening and shutting heaven, consequently the power of remitting and retaining sins ; that therefore he, as keeper of the keys of everlasting life, hath a right at once to earthly and heavenly empire; that moreover bishops and priests have such a power from him, because it was given also to the rest of the apostles, and that therefore they are called ministers of the keys. That it be- longs to the church to judge of the true sense and interpretation of the sacred scriptures, and that they who oppose them are to suffer punishments established by law. That it is not proper for the laity to read the sacred scriptures, because the sense of them is only known to the church : thence its minis- ters boast that it is known to them/' X. The above doctrinals are selected from their councils and bulls, particularly from the council of Trent, and the papal bull confirming it, wherein all who think, believe, and act contrary to what was there decreed, which in general is as above adduced, are condemned to be excommunicated. A COMPENDIUM DOCTRINES OF THE REFORMED CHURCH AND RELIGION. THE members of the Reformed Church being much treated of in the Apocalypse, in its spiritual sense, it is expedient, before entering upon its explication, to unfold their doctrines in the following order : On God ; on Christ the Lord ; on Justifica- tion by Faith, and on Good Works ; on the Law and the Gospel ; on Repentance and Confession ; on Original Sin; on Baptism; on the Holy Supper ; on Free-will ; and on the Church. CS I. On GOD. Of God they believe according to the Athan- asian creed, which, as it is in the hands of every one, is not here inserted. That they believe in God the Father as the creator and preserver; in God the Son as the saviour and redeemer; and in the Holy Spirit as the illuminator and sanctifier, is also well known. "II. On CHRIST THE LORD. Concerning the person of Christ, the same doctrine is not taught by all the reformed ; the Lutherans teach that the Virgin Mary not only conceived and brought forth a real man, but also the real Son of God, whence she is justly called, and truly is, the mother of God. That in Christ there are two natures, a divine and a human, the divine from eternity, and the human in time ; that these two natures are personally united, altogether in such a manner, that there are not two Christs, one the son of God, and the REFORMED CHURCH. 9 other the son of man, but that one and the same is the son of God and the son of man, not that these two natures are mixed together into one substance, nor that one is changed into the other, but that both natures retain their essential properties, which are also described as to their qualities : that their union is hypostatic, and that this is the most perfect commu- nion, like that of the soul and body ; that therefore it is justly said, that in Christ God is man and man God: that he did not suffer for us as mere man only, but as such a man, whose human nature hath so strict and ineffable a union and com- munion with the son of God, as to become one person with him ; that in truth the son of God suffered for us, but yet according to the properties of human nature ; that the son of Man, by whom is understood Christ as to his human nature, was really exalted to the right hand of God when he was taken into God, which was the case as soon as he was con- ceived of the Holy Spirit in the womb of his mother ; that Christ always had that majesty by reason of his personal union, but that, in his state of exinanition, he only exercised it so far as he thought proper ; but that after his resurrection he fully and entirely put off the form of a servant, and put his human nature or essence into a plenary assumption of the divine majesty; and that in this manner he entered into glory; in a word, that Christ is, and remains to all eternity, perfect God and man in one indivisible person ; and the true, omni- potent, and eternal God; being also, with respect to his humanity, present at the right hand of God, governs all things in heaven and upon earth, and also fills all things, is with us, and dwells and operates in us. That there is no difference of adoration, because by the nature which is seen, the divinity which is not seen, is adored. That the divine essence commu- nicates and imparts i+ own excellences to the human nature ; and performs its divine operations by the body as by its organ ; that thus all the fulness of the Godhead dwells in Christ bodily, according to Paul. That the incarnation was accora- VOL. I. C 10 DOCTRINES OF THE plished that he might reconcile the Father to us, and become a sacrifice for the sins of the whole world, as well original as actual ; that he was incarnate of the substance of the Holy Spirit, but that his human nature was produced from the Virgin Mary, which, as the Word, he assumed and united to himself; that he sanctifies those who believe in him, by sending the Holy Spirit into their hearts, to guide, comfort, and vivify them, and defend them against the devil and the power of sin. That Christ descended into hell, and destroyed hell for all believers ; but in what manner these things were effected, he doth not wish them to scrutinize too curiously, but that the knowledge of this matter may be reserved for another age, when not only this mystery, but many other things also shall be revealed/' These particulars are from Luther; the Augustan Confession ; the Council of Nice ; and the Smalcalden Articles. See the Formula Concordiae. " Some of the Reformed, who are also treated of in the Formula Concordise, believe, that Christ, according to his human nature, by exaltation, received only created gifts and finite power, therefore that he is a man like any other, retain- ing the properties of the flesh ; that therefore as to his human nature he is not omnipotent and omniscient ; that although absent he governs, as a king, things remote from himself; that as God from eternity he is with the Father, and as a man born in time, he is with the angels in heaven ; and that when it is said, in Christ God is man and man God, it is only a figurative mode of speech : besides other things of a like nature. "But this disagreement is adjusted by the Athanasian Creed, which is received by all in the Christian world, where these words occur ; 'The true faith is, that we believe and confess that our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is God and man; God, of the substance of the Father, begotten before the world, and man, of the substance of the mother, born in the world ; perfect God and perfect man : who, REFORMED CHURCH. 11 although he be God and man, yet these are not two but one Christ; one, not by conversion of the divine Essence into body, but by the taking of his manhood into God; One altogether, not by confusion of substance, but by unity of person ; for as the reasonable soul and body is one man, so God and man is one Christ.' "III. ON JUSTIFICATION BY FAITH, AND ON GOOD WORKS. The justifying and saving faith of the clergy is this; that God the Father turned himself away from the human race by reason of their iniquities, and so, from justice, condemned them to eternal death, and that he therefore sent his Son into the world to expiate and redeem them, and make satisfaction and reconciliation ; and that the Son did this by taking upon himself the damnation of the law, and suffering himself to be crucified, and that thus by obedience he en- tirely satisfied God's justice, even to becoming justice himself; and that God the Father imputes and applies this, as his merit, to believers, and sends the Holy Spirit to them, who operates charity, good works, and repentance, as a good tree produces good fruit; and justifies, renews, regenerates, and sanctifies ; and that this faith is the only medium of salva- tion, and that by it alone a man's sins are forgiven. They make a distinction between the act and the state of justification : by the act of justification they understand the beginning of justification, which takes place in a moment, when man by that faith alone apprehends with confidence the merit of Christ; by the state of justification they understand the progress of that faith, which takes place by the interior oper- ation of the Holy Spirit, which does not manifest itself except by certain signs, concerning which they teach various things ; they speak also of good works manifested, which are done from the man and his will, and follow that faith; but they exclude them from justification, because the selfhood, and therefore the merit, of man is in them. This is a summary of modern faith, but its confirmations, and the traditions c2 12 concerning it, are numerous and manifold; some of which also shall be adduced; which are, that men cannot be justified before God by their own strength, merits, and works, but gratuitously for Christ's sake, by faith ; that by this faith they believe that they are received into grace, and their sins are remitted for his sake, who by his death made satisfaction for us, and that God the Father imputes this to believers for righteousness before him ; that this faith, that Christ suffered and died for us, is not only an historical knowledge, but also a cordial assent, confidence, and trust, that sins are gratuit- ously remitted for Christ's sake, and that they are justified ; and that at this time these three things concur, gratuitous promise, the merit of Christ as a price, and propitiation : That faith is the righteousness by which we are reputed just before God by reason of the promise ; and that to be jus- tified is to be absolved from sins, and that it may also be called a kind of quickening and regeneration ; that faith is reputed to us for righteousness, not because it is so good a work, but because it apprehends the merit of Christ. That the merit of Christ is his obedience, passion, death, and resurrection; that it is necessary there should be something by which God can be approached, and that this is nothing else but faith, by which reception is effected. That faith, in the act of justifi- cation, enters by the word and by the hearing, and that it is not the act of man, but that it is the operation of the Holy Spirit, and that man does not co-operate any more than a statue of salt, a stock, or a stone, doing nothing from himself, and knowing nothing of it; but that after the act he co- operates, yet not with any will of his own in spiritual things ; in things natural, civil, and moral, it is otherwise : but that they can so far proceed in things spiritual as to will what is good, and to feel delight in consequence, yet this is not from their own will, but from the Holy Spirit, and that thus they co-operate not from their own powers, but from new powers and gifts begun in them by the Holy Spirit in their con- REFORMED CHURCH. 13 version ; and that in real conversion a change, renovation, and motion are produced in the understanding and heart of man. That charity, good works, and repentance do not enter into the act of justification, but that they are necessary in the state of justification, especially by reason of God's command, and that by them are merited the corporeal rewards of this life, but not the remission of sins and the glory of everlast- ing life, because faith alone, without the works of the law, justifies and saves. That faith in act justifies man, but faith in state renovates him ; that in renovation by reason of God's command, the works reputed good, as pointed out by the decalogue, are necessary to be performed, because it is the will of Cod that carnal lusts should be restrained by civil discipline, for which reason he has provided doctrine, laws, magistrates, and punishments; that, therefore, it is conse- quently false, that by works we merit remission of sins and salvation, and that works have any effect in preserving faith j and that it is also false, that man is reputed just on account of the rational justice or righteousness he may possess ; and that reason can, from its own power, love God above all things and perform his law ; in a word, that faith and salvation are not preserved and retained in men by good works, but only by the Spirit of God and by faith ; but still that good works are testimonies that the Holy Spirit is present and dwells in them. They condemn as pernicious, this mode of speech, that good works are hurtful to salvation ; because the interior works of the Holy Spirit are to be understood, which are good, not exterior works proceeding from man's own will, which are not good but evil, because they are meritorious. They teach, moreover, that Christ at the last judgment will pronounce sentence upon good and evil works as effects proper and not proper to the faith of man. This faith rules at this day in the whole reformed Christian world with the clergy, but not with the laity, except in a very few instances; for the laity by faith understand nothing else but believing in 14 DOCTRINES OF THE God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit; and that he who lives well and believes well, will be saved ; and of the Lord that he is the Saviour; for they are ignorant of the mysteries of justification of their preachers, who, although they preach such things, yet, with the laity who hear them, they enter in at one ear and go out at the other ; their teachers, indeed, think themselves learned, from knowing them, and labour much in their schools and universities to make them- selves masters of them ; therefore it is said above, that that faith is the faith of the clergy. But yet the teachers teach this same faith differently in the different kingdoms in which the Reformed Church is established; in Germany, Sweden, and Denmark, they say, that the Holy Spirit operates by that faith, and justifies and sanctifies men, and afterwards suc- cessively renovates and regenerates them, but without the works of the law; and they who are in that faith from trust and confidence, are in grace with God the Father ; and that then the evils which they do, appear indeed, but are constantly re- mitted. In England, they teach, that that faith produces charity without man's knowledge, and that when man feels the Holy Spirit operate interiorly in himself, this operation also is the good of charity; and if he does not feel it, and yet does good for the sake of salvation, that it may be called good, but still that it derives somewhat from man, in that there is merit in it. Moreover, that such faith can operate this at the hour of death, yet they do not know how. In Holland, they teach, that God the Father, for the sake of the Son, justifies and purifies man interiorly by the Holy Spirit through that faith, but even to his own proper will, from which it turns back without touching it ; some teach, that it does indeed lightly touch it, and that the evils of man's will do not appear in the sight of God. But a few only of the laity know any thing of these mysteries of the clergy, the latter indeed are unwilling to publish them as they are in themselves, because they know that the laity have no relish for them. REFORMED CHURCH. 15 "IV. ON THE LAW AND THE GOSPEL. That the law was given by God, that it might be known what sin is, and that thus it might be restrained by threats and by fear, and afterwards by promise and the annunciation of grace ; there- fore the principle office of the law is, to reveal original sin and all the fruits of it, and to make known to how horrible a degree the nature of man is fallen and totally depraved ; by this means it terrifies, humbles, and reduces man to despair of himself, and anxiously to desire aid : this effect of the law is called contrition, which is not active or factitious, but passive, and the torment of conscience ; but the gospel is the whole doctrine concerning Christ and faith; and, therefore, concerning the remission of sins; consequently, a most joyful messenger, not reproving and terrifying, but com- forting : by the law the wrath of God against all impiety is revealed, and man is condemned, therefore, it causes man to look up to Christ, and to the gospel; they must both be preached, because they are connected. The gospel teaches that Christ took upon himself the curse of the law, and expi- ated all sins, and that we consequently obtain remission by faith. That the Holy Spirit is given and received, and the heart of man renewed, not by the preaching of the law, but of the Gospel; and that the Spirit afterwards makes use of the ministry of the law, to teach and shew, in the decalogue, what the good will and pleasure of God is; thus the Spirit mor- tifies and quickens. That a distinction is to be made between the works of the law and the works of the Spirit, therefore, the faithful are not under the law, but under grace, for that very reason. That the righteousness of the law does not justify, that is, does not reconcile nor regenerate, nor, by itself, make men accepted of God; but when the Holy Spirit is given, the fulfilling of the law follows. That the works of the second table of the decalogue do not justify, because by it we act with men, and not properly with God, and yet in justifi- cation we must act with God. That Christ without sin suffered 16 DOCTRINES OF THE the punishment of sin, and was made a sacrifice for us, whereby he took away that right of the law, that it might not condemn believers, because he is a propitiation for them, for the sake of which they are reputed just. "V. ON REPENTANCE AND CONFESSION. That repen- tance consists of two parts ; one is contrition, or terror struck into the conscience by reason of sin ; the other faith, which is conceived from the Gospel, and by the remission of sine, comforts the conscience and delivers from terrors. He who confesses himself to be nothing but sin, comprehends all sins, excludes none, and forgets none ; thus sins are purged away, man is purified, rectified, and sanctified; because the Holy Spirit does not suffer sin to have dominion, but represses and restrains it. That the enumeration of sins ought to be free, as the person may chuse or not chuse ; and that great stress is to be laid upon private confession and absolution ; therefore, if any one chuses, he may confess his sins, and receive absolution from the confessor, and that in such case his sins are remitted. The words which the minister is to make use of on this occasion are ; ( May God be propitious to thee, and confirm thy faith ; be it unto thee as thou believest, and I, by the commandment of the Lord, remit to thee thy sins:' but others say, 'I announce to thee the remission of thy sins :' that still, however, sins are not forgiven by repentance any more than by works ; but by faith. Therefore, the repen- tance of the clergy is only a confession before God that they are sinners, and a prayer that they may persevere in faith. That expiations and satisfactions are not necessary, because Christ is expiation and satisfaction. "VI. ON ORIGINAL SIN they teach. That after the fall of Adam all men propagated according to nature are born in sin, that is, without the fear of God, and with concupiscences; and that this condemns and brings eternal death upon those who are not born again by baptism and the Holy Spirit : that it is a privation of original righteousness, and at the same REFORMED CHURCH. 17 time an inordinate disposition of the parts of the soul, and a corrupt habit. That there is a difference between the nature itself into which man was created, which exists even after the fall, and remains a creature of God, and original sin; therefore, that there is a difference between corrupt nature, and the corruption which is inherent in nature, and by which nature is corrupt : that no one but God alone can separate the corruption of nature from nature itself; that this will manifestly be done in the blessed resurrection, because then nature itself, which encloses man in this world, will rise again without original sin, and enjoy eternal felicity; that the difference is as great as between the work of God and the work of the devil ; that this sin did not invade nature in such a manner, as if Satan had created any evil substantially, and commixed it with nature, but that concreate and original righteousness was lost : that original sin is an accident ; and that by reason of it, man is, as it were, spiritually dead before God : that this evil is covered and pardoned by Christ alone : that the seed itself from which man is formed, is contaminated with that sin : that hence also it is, that man receives from his parents depraved inclinations and internal uncleanness of heart. "VII. ON BAPTISM. That baptism is not simply water, but that it is water taken by the divine command, and sealed with the Word of God, and thus sanctified : that the virtue, work, fruit, and end of baptism, is, that men may be saved, and admitted into the Christian communion. That by baptism victory is offered over death and the devil; remission of sins; the grace of God ; Christ with all his works ; and the Holy Spirit with all his gifts ; and eternal blessedness to all and every believer. Whether faith be given to infants, also, by baptism, is a question too deep to be solicitously enquired into. That immersion in water signifies the mortification of the old man, and the resurrection of the new ; that therefore it may be called, the laver of regeneration ; and the true laver VOL. I. D 18 DOCTRINES OF THE in the Word ; also in the death and burial of Christ. That the life of a Christian is a daily baptism once begun in this manner : that the water does not effect this, but the Word of God, which is in and with the water, and the faith of God's Word added to the water; that hence it follows, that baptism in the name of God, is performed by men indeed, but is not from them, but from God himself. That baptism does not take away original sin, by extinguishing evil concupiscence, but only the guilt of it. ff But others of the Reformed believe, that baptism is an external laver of water, whereby an internal ablution from sin is signified : that it does not confer regeneration, faith, the grace of God, and salvation, but only signifies and seals them ; and that they are not conferred in and with baptism, but afterwards as the person grows up ; and that the elect alone obtain the grace of Christ and the gift of faith : and because salvation does not depend upon baptism, that there- fore it is permitted to be performed by another for want of a regular minister. "VIII. ON THE LORD'S SUPPER. They of the Reformed Church, who are called Lutherans, teach that in the holy supper or sacrament of the altar, the body and blood of Christ are really and substantially present, and are actually distributed and received with the bread and wine ; that there- fore the real body and the real blood of Christ are in, with, and under the bread and wine, and are given to Christians to eat and drink ; and that therefore they are not simply bread and wine, but are included and bound in the Word of God, and that this causes them to be the body and blood of Christ ; for when the Word accedes to the element, it becomes a sacrament ; but yet that there is no transubstantiation, such as is that of the papists : that it is the food of the soul, nourishing and strengthening the new man : that it was instituted, to the end that faith might repair and receive its strength, to give remission of sins, and a new life, which REFORMED CHURCH. 19 Christ merited for us : that thus the body and blood of Christ are not only taken spiritually by faith, but also by the mouth, in a supernatural way, by reason of their sacramental union with the bread and wine : that the worthiness of this supper consists in obedience alone, and in the merit of Christ, which is applied by true faith. In a word, that the sacraments of the Lord's supper and of baptism, are testimonies of the will and grace of God towards men ; and that the sacrament of the supper is a promise of remission of sins through faith ; that it may move the heart to believe ; and that the Holy Spirit may operate through the Word and the sacraments : that the consecration of the minister does not produce these effects, but that they are to be attributed to the sole omni- potent virtue of the Lord. That the unworthy, as well as the worthy, receive the real body and blood of Christ, as it hung upon the cross ; but the worthy to salvation, the unworthy to condemnation ; that they are worthy who have faith : that no one is to be forced to that supper, but every one may approach when urged by spiritual hunger. ' ( Others, however, of the Reformed Church teach, that in the holy supper the body and blood of Christ are only taken spiritually, and that the bread and wine are only signs, types, symbols, marks, figures, and similitudes; that Christ is not bodily present, but only in virtue and operation from his Di- vine Essence ; but that in heaven there is a conjunction ac- cording to the communication of idioms : that the worthiness of this supper depends not only upon faith, but also upon pre- paration : that the worthy alone receive its virtue, but the unworthy bread and wine only. Although there are these disagreements in sentiment, yet all the Reformed agree in this ; that it is altogether necessary that they should do the work of repentance, who desire to receive that holy supper worthily; the Lutherans insist that if they do not do repentance from evil works, and yet approach, they are eternally condemned ; and the English, that otherwise the devil will enter into them D 2 20 DOCTRINES OF THE as he did into Judas ; this is evident from the prayers read before the communion. " IX. ON FREE WILL. They make a distinction between the state before the fall, after the fall, after the reception of faith and renovation, and after the resurrection. That man since the fall is entirely incapable of beginning, thinking, understanding, believing, willing, operating or co-operating any thing from his own power in matters of a spiritual and divine nature j or of applying or accommodating himself to grace ; but that his natural will is only for those things which are contrary to God, and displease him ; therefore that man in spiritual things is like a stock, but that still he has a capacity, not active but passive, whereby he can be turned to good by the grace of God j that nevertheless there remains in man since the fall, the free-will and power either to hear or not to hear the Word of God, and that thus a spark of faith may be kindled in his heart, which embraces the remis- sion of sins for Christ's sake, and imparts consolation. That nevertheless the human will enjoys the liberty of performing civil righteousness, and of making choice of such things as are within the province of reason. "X. ON THE CHURCH. That the church is the congre- gation and communion of saints, and that it is dispersed over the whole world among those who have the same Christ and the same Holy Spirit, and the same sacraments, whether they have similar or dissimilar traditions : and that it is princi- pally a society of faith ; and that this church alone is the body of Christ, and that the good are both really and nomi- nally a church, but the wicked only nominally : that the wicked and hypocrites, because they are intermixed, are members of the church according to its external signs, pro- vided they are not excommunicated, but that they are not members of the body of Christ. That ecclesiastical rites, whicli are called ceremonies, are matters of indifference (adiaphori), and that they are not the worship of God, nor REFORMED CHURCH. 21 a part of the worship of God ; that therefore the church is at liberty to institute, change, and abrogate them, as, for instance, the distinctions of garments, times, days, meats, and the like ; and that therefore one church ought not to condemn another on account of things of this nature." These are the doctrines of the Reformed Church and Religion in the abstract ; but those which are taught by the Schweng- feldians, Pelagians, Manichseans, Donatists, Anabaptists, Ar- menians, Cinglians, Antitrinitarians, Socinians, Arians, and, at this day, by the Quakers and Moravians, are passed over, because they are reprobated and rejected by the Reformed Church as heretical. THE APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER I. 1. THE Revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave unto him, to shew unto his servants things which must shortly come to pass ; and he signified [it] sending, by his angel, to his servant John, 2. Who bore witness of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ, whatsoever things he saw. 3. Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear, the words of the prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein ; for the time is at hand. 4. John to the seven churches which are in Asia : Grace be unto you, and peace, from Him who is, and who was, and who is to come ; and from the seven spirits which are before his throne ; 5. And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, the first-begotten from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. To Him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood, 6. And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father : to him be glory and might for ever and ever. Amen. 7- Behold he cometh with clouds, and every eye shall see him, and they [also] who pierced him ; and all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so; Amen. 8. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end, saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come, the Almighty. Chap. 1.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 23 9. I John, who also am your brother, and companion in tribulation, and in the kingdom and patience of Jesus Christ, was in the island called Patmos, for the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ. 10. I was in the spirit on the Lord's day ; and I heard behind me a great voice, as of a trumpet, 1 1 . Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last: and, whatthou seest, write in a book, and send [it] to the churches, which are in Asia ; unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Philadelphia, and unto Laodicea. 12. And I turned to see the Voice that spoke with me: And, being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks ; 13. And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle. 14. And his head and his hairs were white as wool is white, like unto snow ; and his eyes were as a flame of fire ; 15. And his feet were like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the voice of many waters. 16. And he had in his right hand seven stars ; and out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword ; and his face was as the sun shineth in his power. 17. And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead. And he laid his right hand upon me, saying unto me, Fear not; I am the First and the Last ; 18. And am he that liveth, and was dead; and behold I am alive for ever and ever. Amen : and I have the keys of hell and of death. 19. Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter. 20. The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches; and the seven candlesticks, which thou sawest, are the seven churches. 24 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. THE CONTENTS OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER. That this reve- lation is from the Lord alone, and that it will be received by those who will be in his new church, which is the New Jerusa- lem, and acknowledge the Lord as the God of heaven and earth ; the Lord is also described as to the Word. THE CONTENTS OF EACH VERSE. "The revelation of Jesus Christ," signifies, predictions from the Lord concerning himself and his church, what the latter will be in its end, and what it will be afterwards : " Which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants," signifies, for the use of those who are in faith originating in charity : " Things which must shortly come to pass," signifies, that they will certainly be, lest the church perish : "And he signified [it], sending by his angel, to his ser- vant John," signifies, the things which are revealed from the Lord through heaven to those who are in the good of life from charity and its faith : " Who bore witness of the Word of God, and of the testimony of Jesus Christ," signifies, who from the heart, and so in the light, receive divine truth from the Word, and acknowledge the Lord's Humanity to be divine : " Whatso- ever things he saw," signifies, their illustration in all the things which are in this revelation : . " Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear, the words of the prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein," signifies, the communion of those with the angels of heaven, who live according to the doctrines of the New Jerusalem: " For the time is at hand," signifies, that the state of the church is such that it cannot endure any longer, so as to have conjunction with the Lord : " John to the seven churches," signifies, to all who are in the Christian world where the Word is, and by it the Lord is known, and who accede to the church : " Which are in Asia," signifies, to those who are in the light of truth from the Word : " Grace be unto you, and peace," signifies, divine salutation : " From Him who is, and who was, and who is Chap, i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. , 2& to come," signifies, from the Lord who is eternal and infinite, and who is Jehovah : "And from the seven spirits which are before his throne," signifies, from the universal heaven, where the Lord is in his divine truth : "And from Jesus Christ," signifies, the Divine Humanity : " Who is the faithful wit- ness," signifies, that he is Divine Truth itself: "The first- begotten from the dead," signifies, that he is Divine Goodness itself: "And the prince of the kings of the earth," signifies, from whom proceeds all truth originating in good in the church : " To him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his blood," signifies, who out of love and mercy, reforms and regenerates men by his divine truths from the Word ; " And hath made us kings and priests," signifies, who gives those who are born of him, that is, regenerated, to be in wisdom from divine truths and in love from divine goods : " Unto God and his Father," signifies, and so images of his di- vine wisdom and of his divine love : " To him be glory and might for ever and ever," signifies, to whom alone belongs divine majesty and divine omnipotence to eternity; "Amen," signifies, divine confirmation from the truth, thus from himself: "Behold, he cometh with clouds," signifies, that the Lord will reveal himself in the literal sense of the Word, and will open its spiritual sense at the end of the church : "And every eye shall see him," signifies, that all who are in the understanding of divine truth from affection will acknowledge him : "And they [also] who pierced him," signi- fies, that they also will see who are in falses in the church : "And all the tribes of the earth shall wail because of him," signifies, that this will be when there are no longer any goods and truths in the church : " Even so, Amen," signifies, divine confirmation that so it will be : "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end," signifies, who is the self-subsist- ing and the only- subsisting from first principles to ultimates, from whom all things proceed ; thus, who is the self-subsist- ing and only- subsisting love, the self- subsisting and only-sub- VOL. I. E 26 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. 1. sisting wisdom, and the self-subsisting and only-subsisting life[in himself; and consequently the self-subsisting and only- subsisting Creator, Saviour, and Illuminator, from himself, and thence the All in all of heaven and the church : " Saith the Lord, who is, and who was, and who is to come," signifies, who is eternal and infinite, and who is Jehovah : " The Almighty," signifies, who is, lives, and has power, from himself, and who governs all things from first principles by ultimates : " I, John,, who also am your brother, and companion," signifies, those who are in the good of charity, and thence in the truths of faith : " In tribulation, and in the kingdom, and patience of Jesus Christ," signifies, which in the church are infested by evils and falses, but which will be removed by the Lord at his coming: "Was in the Isle called Patmos," signifies, a state and place in whicl* ae could be illuminated : " For the Word of God, and for the testimony of Jesus Christ," signifies, that divine truth from the Word might be received at heart and so in the light, and that the Lord's Humanity might be acknowledged to be divine : " I was in the spirit on the Lord's day," signifies, a spiritual state at that time from divine influx : "And I heard behind me a great voice as of a trum- pet," signifies, a manifest perception of divine truth revealed from heaven : " Saying, I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last," signifies, who is the self-subsisting and the only-subsisting from first principles, from whom all things proceed, &c. as above : "And what thou seest, write in a book," signifies, that it may be revealed to posterity : "And send to the churches which are in Asia," signifies, for those in the Christian world who are in the light of truth from the Word: "Unto Ephesus, and unto Smyrna, and unto Pergamos, and unto Thyatira, and unto Sardis, and unto Phila- delphia, and unto Laodicea," signifies, specifically according to the state of reception of each : "And I turned to see the voice that spoke with me," signifies, inversion of the state of those who are in good of life, with respect to the perception Chap. 1.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 2/ of truth in the Word, when they turn themselves to the Lord : " And being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks," signifies, the New Church, which will be in illustration from the Lord out of the Word : "And in the midst of the seven candle- sticks one like unto the Son of Man," signifies, the Lord as to the Word, from whom that church is; "Clothed with a garment down to the foot," signifies, the proceeding divine which is divine truth : " And girt about the paps with a golden girdle," signifies, the proceeding, and at the same time, con- joining divine, which is divine good : "And his head and his hairs were white as wool is white, like unto snow," signifies, the divine love of the divine wisdom in first principles and in ultimates : " And his eyes were as a flame of fire," signifies, the divine wisdom of the divine love ; " And his feet were like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace," signifies, divine good natural : ( 'And his voice as the voice of many waters," signifies, divine truth natural : "And he had in his right hand seven stars," signifies, all knowledges of goodness and truth in the Word from him : " And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword," signifies, the dispersion of falses by the Word, and by doctrine thence from the Lord: "And his face was as the sun shineth in his power," sig- nifies, the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, which are himself, and proceed from himself; "And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead," signifies, a defect of his own life from such presence of the Lord : "And he laid his right hand upon me," signifies, life then inspired from him : " Say- ing unto me, Fear not," signifies resuscitation, aad at the same time adoration from tfye most profound humiliation; " I am the First and the Last," signifies, that he is eternal and infinite, therefore, the only God : "And am he that liveth," signifies, who alone is life, and from whom alone life is ; "And was dead," signifies, that he was neglected in the church, and his Divine Humanity not acknowledged : "And behold, I am alive for ever and ever," signifies, that he is E 2 28 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. life eternal: "Amen," signifies, divine confirmation that this is truth : "And I have the keys of hell and death," signifies, that he alone has power to save : " Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter," signifies, that all the things which are now revealed are for the use of posterity: "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawestin my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks," signifies, arcana in visions concerning the new heaven and the new church : { ' The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches," signifies, the new church in the heavens, which is the new heaven : "And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest, are the seven churches," signifies, the New Church upon earth, which is the New Jerusalem descending from the Lord out of the new heaven. THE EXPLANATION. 1. \V HAT the spiritual sense is, has hitherto been unknown. That there is such a sense in every particular of the Word, is shewn in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scriptures, n. 5 26, and that without it, the Word in many places cannot be understood : this sense does not appear in the literal sense, for it is in it as the soul in its body. It is well known, that there is what is spiritual, and what is natural j and that what is spiritual flows into what is natural, and renders itself visible and sensible in those forms which are the objects of sight and touch, and that what is spiritual, without such forms, is perceived no other- wise than as affection and thought, or as love and wisdom which are of the mind : that affection and thought, or love whose property it is to be affected, and wisdom whose pro- perty it is to think, are spiritual, is acknowledged; that Chap, i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 29 these two faculties of the mind shew themselves in the body in forms, which are called organs of sense and motion, is well known ; also, that they make a one, and such a one as that what the mind thinks, that the mouth in an instant speaks, and what the mind wills, that the body in an instant does; hence it is evident, that there is a perfect union of things spiritual and natural in man. It is the same with everything in the world, both generally and particularly; there is in them something spiritual, which is the inmost of the cause, and something natural, which is its effect, and these two make a one; and what is spiritual does not appear in what is natural, because it dwells in it as the soul in its body, and as the inmost of the cause in the effect, as was observed before. It is the same with the Word ; that this is internally spiritual, because it is divine, cannot be denied by any one ; but as what is spiritual does not appear in the sense of the letter, which is natural, therefore, the spiritual sense has hitherto been unknown ; nor could it have been known before genuine truths were revealed by the Lord, for in these that sense consists. For this reason the Apoca- lypse has not been understood before. But lest any doubt should remain, that such things are contained in it, the particulars must be explained, and demonstrated by similar passages in other parts of the Word. The explanation and demonstration now follow. 2. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ," signifies, predictions from the Lord concerning himself and his church, what the latter will be in its end, and what it will be afterwards, as well in the heavens as upon earth. By the Revelation of Jesus Christ are signified all predictions, which, coming from the Lord, are called the Revelation of Jesus Christ; that they relate to the Lord and his church, will appear from the explanations. The Apocalypse does not treat of the suc- cessive states of the church, much less of the successive states of kingdoms, as some have hitherto believed, but from 30 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. beginning to end it treats of the last state of the church in heaven and earth; and then concerning the last judg- ment ; and after this the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem : That this New Church is the end and object of this work, is very evident, wherefore those things which are first mentioned refer to the state- of the church, as to its quality immediately antecedent to its appearance. But in what series these matters are treated of, may be seen from the contents of each chapter ; and more distinctly from the explanation of each particular verse. 3. " Which God gave unto him to shew unto his servants," signifies, for those who are in faith derived from charity, or in truths of wisdom derived from the good of love. By shewing is signified to manifest, and by servants are here signified those who are in faith derived from charity; to them these things are manifested, because they understand and receive them : by servants, in a spiritual sense, are understood those who are in truths ; and because truths ori- ginate in good, by servants are understood those who are in truths derived from good, therefore, also, those who are in wisdom derived from love, because wisdom is of truth, and love is of good; also those who are in faith derived from charity, because faith also is of truth, and charity is of good ; and since the genuine spiritual sense is abstracted from per- son, therefore in it by servants are signified truths. Now truths being subservient to good by their teaching it, there- fore, in general, and properly, by servant, in the Word, is meant what is subservient, or he or that which serves ; in this sense not only the prophets are called the servants of God, but also the Lord as to his Humanity; that the prophets are called the servants of God, is evident from the following passages : "Jehovah hath sent unto you all his servants, the prophets" ( Jerem. xxv. 4) . " He revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets" (Amos iii. 7)- "His laws which he set before us by his servants the prophets" (Dan. ix. 10); and Moses is Chap. I.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 31 called the servant of Jehovah" (Malachi iii. 22) * ; the reason is because by a prophet in the spiritual sense is understood truth of doctrine, as explained below. And because the Lord was divine truth itself, which also is the Word, and is thence called the Prophet ; and served in the world, and serves all to eternity by his teaching, therefore, he also, in many places, is called the servant of Jehovah ; as in the following: "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many'" (Isaiah liii. 11). "Behold, my ser- vant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted, and extolled, and be very high" (Isaiah Iii. 13). " Behold, my servant whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him" (Isaiah xlii. 1, 19) ; this is spoken of the Lord : in like manner David is called a ser- vant, where, by him, the Lord is understood; as in the follow- ing passages : "And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them"(Ezek. xxxiv. 24). " David, my servant, shall be king over them, that they all shall have one shepherd" (Ezek. xxxvii. 24) . " I will de- fend this city to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake" (Isaiah xxxvii. 35). So also in Psalm Ixxviii. 70 72, Ixxxix. 3, 4, 20. That by David in these places is meant the Lord, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord, n. 43, 44. The Lord himself says the same of himself; "Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister, and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant, even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to min- ister" (Matt, xx. 26, 28, Mark x. 42 44, Luke xxii. 27, and so in Luke xii. 37). This the Lord says, because by * In the Hebrew Bible there are only three chapters in Malachi, and as our author quotes from the Hebrew text, it may be necessary to observe, that this text in our version is chap. iv. 4. In all like instances we shall alter it to the state of the English text. EDITORS. 32 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. servant and minister is understood one who serves and min- isters by teaching, and, abstracted from person, divine truth, which was himself. Since, therefore, by servant is under- stood he who teaches divine truth, it is evident that by servants in this place in the Apocalypse are meant those who are in truths derived from good, or in faith derived from charity, because these can teach from the Lord, that is, the Lord can teach and minister by them. In this sense they are called servants in Matthew: "In the consummation of the age, who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them their meat in due season: blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing" (xxiv. 45). And in Luke: " Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching : verily, I say unto you, that he shall gird ^himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve thein"(xii. 37). In heaven all are called servants of the Lord, who are in his spiritual kingdom, but they who are in his celestial kingdom are called ministers ; the reason is, because they who are in his spiritual kingdom, are in wisdom from divine truth; and they who are in his celestial kingdom are in love from divine good; and good ministers and truth serves. But in an opposite sense, by servants are meant those who serve the devil ; these are in a state of real servitude ; but they who serve the Lord are in a state of liberty ; as the Lord also teaches in John, viii. 3236. 4. " Things which must shortly come to pass," signifies, that they will certainly be, lest the church perish. By coming to pass shortly, is not meant that the things which are foretold in the Apocalypse, will happen immediately and speedily, but certainly ; and that unless they do happen the Church must perish. In the divine idea, and thence in the spiritual sense, there is no time, but instead of time, there is state; and because shortly relates to time, by it is signified Chap. 1.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 33 certainly, and, that it will come to pass before its time ; for the Apocalypse was given in the first century, and since that seventeen centuries have now elapsed, from which it is evi- dent, that by shortly is signified that which corresponds to it, and that is, certainly. The like is also involved in these words of the Lord ; " Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened "(Matt. xxiv. 22) : by which also is understood, that except the church should come to an end before its time, it would totally perish ; in that chapter the consummation of the age, and the Lord's coming are treated of; and by the consummation of the age is meant the last state of the old church, and by the Lord's coming, the first state of the new. It was observed, that in the divine idea there is no time, but a presence of all things past and future ; wherefore it is said by David, " A thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday" (Psalm xc. 4) : and again: "I will declare the decree, Jehovah hath said unto me, Thou art my son, this day have I begotten thee" (Psalm ii. 7) * this day denotes the presence of the Lord's advent. Thence also it is, that an entire period is called day in the Word, and its first state the dawning and the morning, and its last evening and night. 5. " And he signified [it] , sending by his angel to his servant John/' signifies, the things which are revealed from the Lord through heaven, to those who are in the good of life derived from charity and its faith. By signified [it] , sending by his an- gel, in the spiritual sense, is meant things revealed from heaven, or through heaven from the Lord ; for by angel in the Word is every where understood the angelic heaven, and in a supreme sense the Lord himself; the reason is, because no angel ever speaks with man in a state of separation from heaven ; for there is such a conjunction of each individual with all in heaven, that every one speaks from the communion, although the angel is not conscious of it : for heaven in the sight of the Lord is as one man, whose soul is the Lord himself; where- VOL. I. F 34 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. ! fore the Lord speaks with man through heaven, as man does from his soul through his body with another ; and this is done in conjunction with all and every thing of his mind, in the midst of which are the things which he speaks ; but this arcanum cannot be unfolded in a few words ; it is partly unfolded in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom : hence it is evident, that by angel is signified heaven, and in a supreme sense the Lord. The reason why by angel the Lord is understood in a supreme sense, is, because heaven is not heaven from any thing proper to the angels, but from the divine of the Lord*, from which is derived their love and wisdom, yea their life ; hence it is that the Lord himself is called an angel in the Word. From these considerations it appears that the angel did not speak from himself with John ; but the Lord out of the midst of heaven by him. By these words is meant, that this is revealed to those who are in the good of life derived from charity and its faith, because these are understood by John ; for by the twelve disciples or apostles of the Lord, are under- stood all who are of the church in truths from good ; and, in an abstract sense, all things of the church ; and by Peter, all who are in faith ; and, abstractedly, faith itself ; by James, they who are in charity, and, abstractedly, charity itself; and by John, they who are in the good of life from charity and its faith, and, abstractedly, good of life itself derived from thence : that these things are meant by John, James, and Peter in the Word of the evangelists, may be seen in a Treatise concerning the New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine, n. 122. Since good of life, grounded in charity and its faith, constitutes the church, therefore, by the apostle John were revealed the arcana concerning the state of the church which are contained in his visions. That by all the names * The words of our author, Divino Domini, may require the terms sphere or influence, or Holy Spirit, to give them their full meaning : which the intelligent reader can supply, or not, as he thinks best. Chap, i.j THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 35 of persons and places in .the Word are signified things of heaven and the church, is abundantly shewn in the Arcana Ccelestia. From these considerations it may appear, that by signified [it], sending by his angel to his servant John, is under- stood, in the spiritual sense, what is revealed by the Lord through heaven to those who are in the good of life derived from charity and its faith ; for charity through faith operates good, and not charity by itself nor faith by itself. 6. " Who bore witness of the Word of God, and the testimony of Jesus Christ," signifies, who, from their heart, and so in the light, receive divine truth from the Word, and acknow- ledge the Lord's Humanity to be divine. It is said of John that he bore witness of the Word of God; but as by John are meant all who are principled in good of life from charity and its faith, as was said above, n. 5, therefore in the spiritual sense all these are understood : the angels, who are in the spiritual sense of the Word, never know any name of a per- son mentioned in the Word, but only that which the person represents and thence signifies, which, instead of John, is good of life, or good in act ; consequently all in the aggregate who are in that good : these witness, that is, see, acknowledge, receive cordially in light, and confess the truths of the Word, especially that truth therein that the Lord's Humanity is divine ; which may appear from the passages quoted from the Word in great abundance in the Doctrine of the New Jeru- salem concerning the Lord. By Jesus Christ and by the Lamb in the Apocalypse is understood, the Lord as to the Divine Humanity, and by God, from which are all things, the Lord as to his Divinity. With regard to the spiritual signi- fication of witnessing or testifying, this is predicated of truth, because in the world the truth is to be testified or witnessed, and when it is testified, it is acknowledged; but in heaven truth testifies of itself, because it is itself the light of heaven ; for when the angels hear the truth, they instantly know and acknowledge it ; and because the Lord is truth itself, as he F2 36 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. himself teaches in John (chap. xiv. 6), he is in heaven the testimony of himself ; hence it may appear, what is meant by the testimony of Jesus Christ; wherefore the Lord saith, " Ye sent unto John, and he bare witness unto the truth; but I receive not testimony from man" (John v. 33) : and in another place : "John came for a witness, to bare witness of the light ; he was not that light ; the Word which was with God, and was God, and was made flesh, was the true light, which lighteth every man" (John i. .1, 2, 7, 8, 14, 34) : and in another place : " Jesus said, though I bare record of myself, yet my record is true, for I know whence I came, and whither I go" (John viii. 14). "When the Comforter is come, even the spirit of truth, he shall testify of me" (John xv. 26) ; by the Comforter, the spirit of truth, is meant the truth itself proceeding from the Lord, wherefore it is said of him, that he will not speak from himself, but from the Lord, John xvi. 13, 14, 15. 7 " Whatsoever things he saw," signifies, their illumination in all the things which are in this revelation. By whatsoever things he saw, in the spiritual sense, are not meant the things which John saw, for they were only visions, but the things which they see who are understood by John, who are such as are principled in good of life, grounded in charity and its faith, as was said above ; these see in the visions of John, arcana concerning the state of the church, not so much when they read themselves, but when they see them revealed. To see signifies to understand; on this account in common discourse it is said, that any one sees a thing, and that he sees that it is a truth ; for sight pertains as much to a man's spirit, as to his body; but man with his spirit sees spiritual things, because from the light of heaven, but with his body he sees natural things, because this sees from the light of the world; and spiritual things are real things, but natural things are their forms : it is the spiritual sight of man which is called the intellect. It is, therefore, evident what is meant, in the Chap. 1.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 37 spiritual sense, by whatsoever things he saw ; in like manner in what follows, where it is said that he saw them. 8. " Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear, the words of the prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein," signifies, the communion of those with the angels of heaven, who live according to the doctrines of the New Je- rusalem. By blessed, is here meant one, who, as to his spirit, is in heaven ; thus, one who, while he lives in the world, is in communion with the angels of heaven ; for such a one, as to his spirit, is in heaven ; by the words of this prophecy nothing else is understood than the doctrine of the New Jerusalem, for by prophet, in an abstract sense, is signified the doctrine of the church derived from the Word, thus here the doctrine of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem ; the same is signified by prophecy. By reading, hearing, and keeping the things which are written therein, is signified, to desire to know that doctrine ; to attend to the things which are written in it, and to do them; in short, to live according to it ; that they are not blessed who only read, hear, and keep or retain in the memory the things which were seen by John, is clear, see below, n. 944. The reason why prophet signifies the doctrine of the church de- rived from the Word, and prophecy the same, is, because the Word was written by prophets, and in heaven a person is regarded according to that which belongs to his function and office ; according to this, also, is every man, spirit, and angel, named in heaven j wherefore, when the word prophet is used, his function being to write and teach the Word, the Word is understood as to doctrine, or doctrine derived from the Word. Hence it is, that the Lord, being the Word itself, was called a prophet, Deut. xviii. 15 20, Matt. xiii. 57, chap. xxi. 1, Luke xiii. 33. To shew, that by prophet is meant doctrine of the church derived from the Word, some passages shall be adduced, from which this may be collected. In Matthew : " In the consummation of the age many false 38 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. There shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect" (xxiv. 11, 24) ; the consum- mation of the age is the last time of the church, which is at hand, when there are not false prophets, but false principles of doctrine. In the same : " He that receiveth a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall receive a prophet's reward ; and he that receiveth a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, shall receive a righteous man's reward" (x. 41); to re- ceive a prophet in the name of a prophet, is to receive the doctrine of truth because it is true ; and to receive a righteous man in the name of a righteous man, is to receive good for the sake of good ; and to receive a reward, is to be saved according to reception: it is evident that no one receives a reward, or is saved, because he receives a prophet and a righteous man in the name of such. Those words cannot be understood by any one, without knowing what a prophet and a righteous man signify; neither can the following: " That whosoever shall give to drink unto one of these little ones a cup of cold water only, in the name of a disciple, shall in no wise lose his reward;" by disciple is under- stood charity, and at the same time faith from the Lord. In Joel : ' ' I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy" (chap. ii. 28) ; speak- ing of the church which was to be established by the Lord, in which they would not prophesy, but receive doctrine, which is to prophesy. In Matthew: "Jesus said, Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not pro- phesied in thy name? but then will I profess unto them, I never knew you, depart from me ye that work iniquity" (chap. vii. 22, 23) ; who does not see, that they would not say that they have prophesied, but that they knew the doctrine of the church, and taught it. In the Apocalypse : " The time is come that the dead should be judged, and that thou shouldest give reward unto thy servants the prophets" (chap. Ghap. L] THB APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 39 xi. 18) ; and in another place : " Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets, for God hath avenged you on her" (chap, xviii. 20) : that a reward would not be given to the prophets alone, and that the apostles and prophets would not alone rejoice at the last judgment, is evident ; but all who have received truths of doctrine, and have lived according to them ; these, therefore, are under- stood by apostles and prophets. So in Moses: " Jehovah said unto Moses, See, I have made thee a god to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother, shall be thy prophet" (Exod. vii. 1) : by God is understood divine truth as to reception from the Lord, in which sense the angels are also called gods, and by prophet is understood one who teaches and utters it, there- fore Aaron is here called a prophet. The same is signified by prophet in other places, as in the following : " The law shall not perish from the priest, nor counsel from the wise, nor the word from the prophet"(Jerem. xviii. 18). " From the prophets of Jerusalem is profaneness gone forth into all the land"(Jerem. xxiii. 15). " The prophets shall become wind, and the Word is not in them"(Jerem. v. 13). " The priest and the prophet have erred through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stumble in judgment" (Isaiah xxviii. 7) " The sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them" (Micah iii. 6). "From the prophet even unto the priest, every one dealeth falsely" (Jerem. viii. 10) 5 in these passages, by prophets and priests, in the spi- ritual sense, are not meant prophets and priests, but the uni- versal church ; by prophets, the church as to truth of doctrine, and by priests, the church as to good of life, both which were destroyed : these things are so understood by the angels in heaven ; while, by men in the world, they are understood according to the sense of the letter. That the prophets represented the state of the church as to doctrine, and that the Lord represented it as to the Word itself, may be seen in 40 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord, n. 1517. 9. "For the time is at hand," signifies, that the state of the church is such, that it cannot endure any longer, so as to be in conjunction with the Lord. There are two essentials by which conjunction with the Lord, and thence salvation is effected, the acknowledgment of one God, and repentance of life; but at this day, instead of the acknowledgment of one God, there is an acknowledgment of three, and instead of repentance of life, there is only an oral confession of sin ; and by these two there is not any conjunction : unless, therefore^ a new church should arise, which acknowledges these two es- sentials, and lives accordingly, no one can be saved; on account of this danger the time is shortened by the Lord, according to his own words in Matthew: "For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time, no, nor ever shall be ; and except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved" (xxiv. 21, 22). That nearness of time, or its being at hand, is not understood, may be seen below, n. 947. 10. " John to the seven churches," signifies, to all who are in the Christian world where the Word is, and by it the Lord is known, and who accede to the church. By the seven churches are not to be understood seven churches, but all who are of the church in the Christian world ; for numbers, in the Word, signify things, and seven, all things and all, and thence, also, what is full and perfect, and it occurs in the Word, where any thing holy is treated of, and, in an opposite sense, where it treats of any thing profane; consequently, this number involves what is holy, and, in an opposite sense, what is profane. The reason why numbers signify things, or rather resemble certain adjectives to substantives denoting some quality in things, is, because number is, in itself, natural ; for natural things are determined by numbers, but spiritual things Chap, i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 41 by things and their states : therefore, he who is ignorant of the signification of numbers in the Word, and especially in the Apocalypse, must be ignorant of many arcana which are con- tained therein. Now, since seven signifies all things and every thing, it may appear that by seven churches are meant all who are in the Christian world where the Word is, and where, con- sequently, the Lord is known : these, if they live according to the Lord's precepts in the Word, constitute the true church. For this reason the sabbath was instituted on the seventh day, and the seventh year was called the Sabbatarian year ; and the seven times seventh year the jubilee, by which was signified every thing holy in the church : for this cause, also, a week, in Daniel, and elsewhere, signifies an entire period, from be- ginning to end, and is predicated of the church. The same is signified by seven in the following passages : as, By the seven golden candlesticks, in the midst of which was one like unto the Son of Man(Apoc. i. 13). By the seven stars in his right hand(Apoc. i. 16, 20) . By the seven spirits of God :(Apoc. i. 4; iv. 5). By the seven lamps of fire(Apoc. iv. 5). By the seven angels, to whom were given seven trumpets (Apoc. viii. 2). By the seven angels having the seven last plagues (Apoc. xv. 5, 6) . By the seven vials full of the seven last plagues (Apoc. xvi. 1 ; xxi. 9) . By the seven seals with which the book was sealed (Apoc. v. i). In like manner in the following places : That their hands should be filled seven days (Exod. xxix. 35). That they should be sanctified seven days (Exod. xxix. 37). That when they were consecrated they should go clothed in the holy garments seven days (Exod. xxix. 30) . That they were not to go out of the door of the tabernacle seven days, when they were initiated into the priesthood (Levit. viii. 33, 34) . That an atonement was to be made seven times upon the horns of the altar (Levit. xvi. 18, 19).. That the altar was to be sanctified with oil seven times (Levit. viii. 11). That the blood was to be sprinkled seven times before the vail VOL. I. G 42 THE APpCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. (Levit. iv. 16, 17). And also seven times towards the east (Levit. xvi. 12 15) . That the water of separation was to be sprinkled seven times towards the tabernacle (Numbers xix. 4) . That the passover was celebrated seven days ; and unleavened bread was eaten seven days (Exod. xii. 15 ; Deut. xvi. 4 7)- I n like manner, that the Jews were to be punished seven times more for their sins (Levit. xxvi. 18, 21, 24, 28). Wherefore David saith, Render unto our neighbour seven-fold into their bosom (Psalm Ixxix. 12). Sevenfold is fully. Likewise in these places : " The words of Jehovah are pure words, as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times" (Psalm xii. 6). "The hungry ceased, so that the barren hath borne seven, and she that hath many children is waxed feeble" (1 Sam. ii. 5). The barren is the church of the Gentiles, who had not the Word ; she that had many children is the church of the Jews, who had the Word. " She who hath borne seven languisheth, she hath given up the ghost" (Jerem. xv. 9). In like manner : " They that dwell in the cities of Israel shall go forth and set on fire and burn the weapons, and they shall burn them with fire seven years: they shall bury Gog, and seven months shall they be cleansing the land"(Ezek. xxxix. 9, 12). "The unclean spirit will take with him seven spirits more wicked than himself" (Matt. xii. 45). Profanation is here described, and by the seven spirits with which he would return, are signified all falses of evil; thus a plenary or total extinction of goodness and truth. By the seven heads of the dragon, and the seven crowns upon his head, Apoc. xii. 3, is signified, the profanation of all goodness and truth. It is evident from what has been said, that seven involves what is holy or profane, and signifies all things and fulness. 11. " Which are in Asia," signifies, to those who are in the light of truth from the Word. Since, by all the names of persons and places in the Word, things of heaven and the church are understood, as was before observed, so, there- Chap, i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 43 fore, Asia and the names of the seven churches therein, signify the same, as will appear from what follows. The reason why they who are in the light of truth from the Word, are understood by Asia, is, because the Most Ancient Church, and, after it, the Ancient, and then the Israelitish church, were established in Asia; also, because the Ancient Word, and, after it, the Israelitish Word, was among them ; and all the light of truth comes from the Word. That the ancient churches were in Asia, and that a Word which was afterwards lost, and lastly, the Word which is extant at this day, was among them, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture, n. 101, 102, 103. On this account it is, that by Asia are here sig- nified all who are in the light of truth from the Word. " Concerning this ancient Word, which was extant in Asia before the Israelitish Word, it is worth while to mention, that it is still preserved among the people who inhabit Great Tartary; I have conversed with spirits and angels in the spiritual world who came from thence, who said that they possess a Word, and have possessed it from ancient times; and that in conformity to this Word, their divine worship is established ; and that it consists of mere correspondences : they said that it contains the book of Jasher, which is men- tioned in Joshua x. 12, 13, and 2 Sam. i. 17, 18, and also, that they possess the books mentioned by Moses, as The Wars of Jehovah and the Propheticals, Numb. xxi. 14, 15, and 27 30 ; and when I read to them the words quoted thence by Moses, they examined whether they were extant there, and found them : from which circumstance it is very clear to me that the old Word is still preserved among them. In the course of the conversation, they said that they wor- ship Jehovah, some as an invisible, and some as a visible God. Moreover they related that they do not suffer foreigners to come among them, except the Chinese, with whom they cultivate peace, because the emperor of China is G 2 44 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. from their country ; and further, that they are so populous, that they do not believe any country in the world to be more so ; which is very credible from the wall so many miles long, which the Chinese formerly built as a defence against any invasion from them. Seek for it in China, and peradventure you may find it there among the Tartars." 12. "Grace be unto you and peace," signifies, divine salu- tation. What is understood specifically by grace and peace, will be explained in what follows; that " peace be unto you" was the Lord's salutation to his disciples; thus the divine salutation, may be seen in Luke xxiv. 36, 37 ; John xx. 19, 20, 21 ; and by command of the Lord, it was the salutation of the disciples to all to whom they should enter in, Matt, x^ 1115. 13. " From him who is, who was, and who is to come,"" signifies, from the Lord who is eternal and infinite, and who is Jehovah. That it is the Lord, appears clearly from what follows in this chapter, where it is said that he heard a voice from the Son of Man, saying, " I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last" (verse 11,13); and afterwards, "I am the First and the Last" (verse 17) ; and in the following chapter, verse 8; and afterwards, chap. xxi. 6; xxii. 12, 13; and in Isaiah : " Thus saith Jehovah, the King of Israel, and his Redeemer Jehovah of Hosts : I am the First, and I am the Last, and beside me there is no God,"(xliv. 6) ; also xlviii. 12.; and he who is the First and the Last, is he who is, and who was, and who is to come. This also is to be understood by Jehovah ; for the name of Jehovah sig- nifies is, and he who is, or who is esse itself, the same is also he who was, and is to come, for in him the past and the future are present; hence he is without time eternal, and without place infinite: this also is acknowledged by the church in the Doctrine of the Trinity, called Athanasian, in which are these words : " The Father is eternal and infinite, the Son is eternal and infinite, and the Holy Spirit is eternal Chap, i.] THE APOCALYPSK REVEALED. 45 and infinite ; but yet there are not three eternals and infinites, but one;" that this one is the Lord, is demonstrated in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord. 14. " And from the seven spirits which are before his throne," signifies, from the universal heaven where the Lord is in his divine truth, and where his divine truth is received. By seven spirits are meant all who are in divine truth, and, in an abstract sense, the divine true or divine truth itself; that seven in the Word means all and every thing, may be seen above, n. 10 ; and that by throne is understood the uni- versal heaven, will be seen presently; therefore by being before his throne, is meant where his divine truth is ; for heaven is not heaven from any thing proper to the angels, but from the divine of the Lord, as is fully shewn in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Providence, and the Divine Love. That the Lord's throne signifies heaven, is evident from the following passages : " Thus saith Jehovah, heaven is niy throne," (Isaiah xlvi. 1). " Jehovah hath pre- pared his throne in the heavens" (Psalm ciii. 19). " He that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the throne of God, and by him that sitteth thereon" (Matt, xxiii. 22). "Above the fir- mament that was over the heads of the cherubim, was the likeness of a throne., as the appearance of a sapphire stone, and upon it the likeness as the appearance of a man"(Ezek. i. 26; x. 1) ; by the firmament over the heads of the cherubim, is meant heaven ; and in the Apocalypse : " To him that over- cometh, will I grant to sit with me in my throne" (iii. 21); in my throne, is in heaven; specifically, where his divine truth reigns ; thus also, where judgment is treated of, it is said, that the Lord will sit upon a throne, for judgment is performed by truths. 15. " And from Jesus Christ," signifies, the Divine Hu- manity. That by Jesus Christ and by the Lamb in the Word, is meant the Lord as to his Divine Humanity, may be seen above, n. 6. 46 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. 16. " Who is the faithful witness," signifies, that he is Divine Truth itself. That witness is predicated of truth, and that the truth testifies of itself, thus the Lord, who is Divine Truth itself, and the Word, may be seen above, n. 6. 17. " The first-begotten from the dead," signifies, that he is Divine Goodness itself. What the first-begotten from the dead means, no one as yet knows ; even the ancients dis- puted about the signification of it : they knew that by first- begotten is signified what is first and primary, from which is the all of the church ; and it was believed by many, that it was truth in doctrine and in faith ; but by few, that it was truth in act and operation, which is good of life. That this is the first and primary of the church, and thence in a strict sense is meant by first-begotten, will be seen presently ; but first something shall be said on the opinion of those who be- lieved, that truth in doctrine and in faith is the first and pri- mary of the church, thus the first-begotten. They believed this, because it is first learnt, and because a church is a church by virtue of truth, though not before it forms a part of the life ; until this happens, it is only in the thought of the un- derstanding, and in the memory, and not in the act of the will ; and truth, which is not truth in act or operation, has no life ; it is only like a luxuriant tree having branches and leaves, but no fruit ; and it is like knowledge without any application to use; and like the foundation upon which a house is built to be lived in. These things are first as to time, but they are not first as to end ; and what is first as to end is primary ; for habitation is the first as to end, but the foundation is the first as to time ; use also is first as to end, and knowledge is first as to time ; in like manner the first thing as to end, when a tree is planted, is the fruit, but the first things as to time are the branches and leaves. With the understanding it is similar, which is formed in man first, but to this end ; that what a man sees with his understanding, he may bring into act; otherwise the understanding is like a preacher, who teaches Chap, i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 47 well, but lives ill. Beside all truth is sown in the internal man, and rooted in the external ; wherefore, unless the truth that is inseminated takes root in the external man, which is effected by doing it, it becomes like a tree planted, not in the ground, but upon it, which withers on exposure to the heat of the sun : the man who has acted up to the truth, takes this root the midst of the gods" (Psalm Ixxxii. 1 ) . They are called gods who are in divine truths from the Lord, and, abstractedly, the truths themselves. " Behold, I send an angel before thee, beware of him and obey his voice, for my name is in the midst of hmi"(Exod. xxiii. 20, 21). The name of Jehovah is every thing divine; in the midst, is in the inmost, and thereby in the all of him. The midst also signifies the in- most, and thence the all, in many other passages in the Word, where evils are also treated of, as in Isaiah xxiv. 13 ; Jerem. xxiii. 9; Psalm v. 9; ix. 4, 5; xxxvi. 2; Iv. 7; Ixii. 4. These passages are adduced, in order to shew, that in the midst of the candlesticks, signifies in the inmost, from which the church and every thing belonging to it is de- rived ; for the church and every thing that belongs to it is from the Lord through the Word. That candlesticks sig- nify the New Church, may be seen above, n. 43. 45.," Clothed with a garment down to the foot," signifies, the proceeding divine, which is divine truth. The reason why a garment down to the foot signifies the proceeding divine, which is divine truth, is, because garments, in the Word, signify truths, thence talaris, which is an outer gar- ment or vest, when the Lord is treated of, signifies the pro- ceeding divine truth. That garments, in the Word, signify truths, is, because in heaven the angels are clothed according to the truths proceeding from their good ; concerning which, see the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 177 182- In what follows it will also be seen, that nothing else is understood by garments in the Word in its spiritual sense ; therefore that nothing else is understood by the Lord's garments, when he was transfigured, which appeared white as the light (Matt, xvii. 1 4; Mark ix. 2-<-8; Luke ix. 28 36). Nor is any thing else understood by the Lord's garments which the soldiers divided (John xix. 23, 24) . That similar things are represented, and therefore signified, by the garments of Aaron, may be seen in The Arcana Coelestia, n. 9814, 10,068; parti- L 2 76 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. cularly what is signified by the ephod, n. 9477? 9824, 10,005 ; what by the robe, n. 9825, 10,005 ; what by the coat, n. 9826, 9942; and what by the mitre, n. 9827 : for Aaron repre- sented the priestly office of the Lord. Concerning the sig- nification of garments in the Word, see below, n. 166, 328. 46. (( And girt about the paps with a golden girdle," sig- nifies, the proceeding, and, at the same time, the conjoining divine, which is divine good. That a golden girdle has this signification, is, because by the Lord's breast, and especially by the paps, his divine love is signified; thence, by the golden girdle which girded them, is signified the proceeding, and at the same time the conjoining divine, which is the di- vine good of his divine love ; moreover gold signifies good ; see below, n. 913. A zone or girdle, in the Word, likewise signifies a common band, whereby all things are kept in their order and connexion ; as in Isaiah : " There shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins, and faithfulness the girdle of his reins" (xi. 1 5) ; the rod coming out of the stem of Jesse is the Lord. That the girdle of the ephod, and the belt of Aaron's coat, signified conjunction, may be seen in The Ar- cana Ccelestia, n. 9837> 9944. As a girdle signifies a band conjoining the goods and truths of the church, therefore, when the church among the children of Israel was destroyed, Jeremiah the prophet was commanded, to procure himself a girdle, and put it upon his loins, and then to hide it in a hole of a rock beside the Euphrates ; and at the end of days, when he took it, behold it was rotten, and was profitable for nothing (Jerem. xiii. 1 12) ; by which was represented, that at that time there was no good in the church, and thence that truths were dissipated. The same is signified by girdle in Isaiah: ft Instead of a girdle there shall be a rent"(iii. 24) ; and also in other places. That by the paps or breasts divine love is signified, is evident from those passages in the Word where they are mentioned, as also from their corre- spondence with love. Chap. I.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 77 47. " His head, and his hairs, were white like wool, as white as snow," signifies, the divine love of the divine wisdom in first principles and in ultimates. By the head of a man is signified the all of his life ; and the all of man's life has relation to love and wisdom, therefore hy the head is signified wisdom, and also love ; but as there is no love without its wisdom, nor wisdom without its love^ therefore it is the love of wisdom which is understood by the head ; and when the Lord is spoken of, it is the divine love of divine wisdom. But the signification of the head will be shewn from the Word, below, n.538, 565. Since, therefore, by the head is understood love, and also wisdom, in their first principles, it follows that by hair is to be understood love and wisdom in their ultimates ; and because hairs are here spoken of the Son of Man, who is the Lord as to the Word, by his hairs are signified the divine good, which is of love, and the divine truth, which is of wisdom, in the ultimates of the Word ; and the ultimates of the Word are what are contained in its literal sense : that the Word in this sense is signified by the hairs of the Son of Man, or of the Lord, seems a paradox, but yet it is true ; this may ap- pear from the passages in the Word adduced in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scripture, n. 35 49; where it is also shewn, that the Nazarites in the Israelitish church represented the Lord as to the Word in ultimates, which is its literal sense ; for Nazarite, in the Hebrew language, signifies hair, or a head of hair ; hence the strength of Sampson, who was a Nazarite from the womb, was in his hair ; that hi like manner divine truth is in its power, in the literal sense of the Word, may be seen in the above-mentioned Doctrine concerning the Sacred Scripture, n. 37 49 ; therefore, also, the shaving of the head was strictly prohibited the high priest and his sons ; and, for the same reason, forty-two children were torn in pieces by two bears, because they called Elisha, Baldhead. Elisha, as well as 78 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. Elijah, represented the Lord as to the Word ; bald signifies the Word without its ultimate, which, as was observed, is its literal sense, and bears signify that sense of the Word separated from its internal sense ; they who separate them, appear also in the spiritual world, at a distance, like bears, whence it is evident why this was done to the children : there- fore, also, to induce baldness was the greatest disgrace, and a mark of extreme grief. For which reason, when the Israelitish nation had perverted all the literal sense of the Word, this lamentation was made over them : " Her Naza- rites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk ; their visage is blacker than a coal, they are not known in the streets" (Lament, iv. 7? 8). Also: "Every head was made bald, and every shoulder was peeled" (Ezek. xxix. 18). And : " Shame shall be upon all faces, and baldness upon all their heads" (Ezek. vii. 18) . In like manner, Isaiah xv. 2 ; Jerem. xlviii. 37 ; Amos viii. 10. As the children of Israel dispersed by falses all the literal sense of the Word, therefore the prophet Ezekiel was commanded to represent this by shav- ing his head with a razor, and to burn with fire a third part of the hair, and smite a third part with a sword, and scatter a third part in the wind, and to collect some in his skirts, and afterwards cast them also into the fire (Ezek. v. 1 4). Therefore, also, it is said in Micah : " Make thee bald and poll thee for thy delicate children, enlarge thy baldness as the eagle ; for they are gone into captivity from thee"(i. 16). The delicate children are the genuine truths of the church from the Word. And as Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, represented the Babylonian falsification of the Word, and de- struction of all truth therein, therefore it came 'to pass that his hairs were grown like eagles' feathers (Dan. iv. 33). By reason that hairs signified that holy principle of the Word, it is said of the Nazarite, " That he should not shave the hair of his head, because the consecration of his God is- upon his head" (Numb. vi. 1 21); and therefore it was Chap. 1.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 79 ordained, "That the high priest and his sons should not uncover their heads, lest they should die, and lest wrath should come upon all the people" (Levit. x. 6). Now as by hairs is signified divine truth in its ultimates, which, in the church, is the Word in its literal sense, therefore, also, the same is said of the Ancient of Days in Daniel : " I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like pure wool"(vii. 9) : that the Ancient of Days is the Lord, appears evidently in Micah : " But thou Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me, that is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting" (v. 2) ; and in Isaiah, where he is called the Father of Eternity (ix. 5). From these passages, and many others, which are not adduced by reason of their abundance, it may appear, that by the head and hairs of the Son of Man, which were white like wool, as white as snow, is understood the divine of love and wisdom, in first principles and in ultimates ; and as by the Son of Man, the Lord is understood as to the Word, it follows, that this also is understood in first principles and in ultimates ; otherwise to what purpose would the Lord here in the Apocalypse, and the Ancient of Days in Daniel, be described as to the hair? That by hair, the literal sense of the Word is sig- nified, appears evidently from those who are in the spiritual world ; they who have held the literal sense of the Word in contempt, appear bald there ; and, on the contrary, they who have loved the literal sense of the Word, appear there with becoming hair. It is /said white as wool, and as snow, because wool signifies good in ultimates, and snow, truth in ultimates ; as also in Isaiah (i. 18) : for wool is from sheep, by which is signified the good of charity, and snow is from water, by which are signified the truths of faith. 80 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. 1. 48. " And his eyes were as a flame of fire," signifies, the divine wisdom of the divine love. By eyes, in the Word, is meant the understanding, and thence, by the eye-sight, intelli- gence ; therefore, when spoken of the Lord, the divine wis- dom is understood ; but by a flame of fire, is signified spi- ritual love, which is charity; wherefore, when spoken of the Lord, the divine love is understood ; hence, then, by his eyes being like a flame of fire, is signified the divine wisdom of the divine love. ' That the eye signifies the understanding, is, because they correspond \ for as the eye sees from natural light, so does the understanding from spiritual light ; wherefore to see is predicated of both. That by eye in the Word, the understanding is signified, is evident from the following passages : e( Bring forth the blind people that have eyes, and the deaf that have ears" (Isaiah xliii. 8). " In that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity" (Isaiah xxix. 18) . " Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped" (Isaiah xxxv. 5, 6) . "I will give thee for a light of the Gentiles, to open the blind eye*" (Isaiah xlii. 7)- This is spoken of the Lord, who, when he comes, will open the understanding of those who are in ignorance of the truth. That this is meant by opening the eyes, is moreover evident from the following passages : (< Make the heart of this people fat, and shut their eyes, lest they see with their eyes" (Isaiah vi. 9, 10 ; John xii. 46) . " Jehovah hath poured out upon you the spirit of deep sleep, and hath closed your eyes ; the prophets, and your rulers, the seers, hath he covered" (Isaiah xxix. 10 ; xxx. 10) . " And shutteth his eyes from seeing evil" (xxxiii. 15) . " Hear this, O rebellious house, which have eyes to see and see not"(Ezek. xii. 2). " Woe to the idle shepherd that leaveth the flock ! the sword shall be upon his arm and upon his right eye, and his right eye t shall be utterly darkened" (Zech, xi. 17). " And this shall be the Chap, i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 81 plague, wherewith Jehovah will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem ; their eyes shall consume away in their holes" (Zech. xiv. 12) . " I will smite every horse with astonishment, and every horse of the people with blindness" (Zech. xii. 4) . Horse, in the spiritual sense, denotes the under- standing of the Word, n. 298. " Hear me, Jehovah, my God, lighten mine eyes, lest I sleep the sleep of death" (Psalm xiii. 3) . That in these passages, by eye is signified the understanding, every one sees. Hence it is evident what the Lord meant by eye in these places : " The light of the body is the eye ; if therefore thine eye be single, thy whole body shall be full of light. But if thine eye be evil, thy whole body shall be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness !" (Matt. vi. 22, 23 ; Luke xi. 34.) " And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee ; for it is better for thee to enter into life with one eye, rather than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire" (Matt. v. 29 ; xviii. 9) . By eye in these places is not meant the eye, but the understanding of truth. As by eye is signified the understanding of truth, therefore it was among the statutes of the children of Israel, that a blind man, or one that hath a blemish in his eye, of the seed of Aaron, should not come nigh to offer sacrifice, nor enter within the vail (Levit. xxi. 18, 20) ; moreover, that any thing blind should not be offered as a sacrifice (Levit. xxii. 22 ; Malachi i. 8) . From these considera- tions it is evident what is meant by eye, when predicated of a man ; hence it follows, that by eye, when predicated of the Lord, his divine wisdom is understood, as also his divine omniscience and providence ; as in these passages : " Open thine eyes, Jehovah, and see" (Isaiah xxxvii. 17). " For I will set mine eyes upon them for good, and I will build them"(Jerem. xxiv. 6) . "Behold the eye of Jehovah is upon them that fear him" (Psalm xxxiii. 18). " Jehovah is in his holy temple, his eyes behold, his eye-lids try the children of VOL. I. M 82 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. men" (Psalm xi. 4) . As by cherubs is signified the care and pro- vidence of the Lord that the spiritual sense of the Word should not be violated ; therefore it is said of the four animals which were cherubs, that they were full of eyes before and behind, and their wings were full of eyes within (Apoc. iv. 6, 8) : also, that the wheels upon which the cherubs were drawn, were full of eyes round about (Ezek. x. 12) . That by a flame of fire is meant his divine love, will be seen in what follows, when flame and fire are mentioned ; and because it is said, that his eyes were like a flame of fire, the divine wisdom of his divine love is signified. That in the Lord there is the divine love of divine wisdom, and the divine wisdom of di- yine love, and thus a reciprocal union of both, is revealed in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, n. 34 39 ; and elsewhere. 49. " And his feet were like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace," signifies, divine good natural : the Lord's feet signify his divine natural ; fire, or what burns, signifies good ; and fine brass signifies the good of truth natural ; therefore, by the feet of the Son of Man like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace, is signified divine good natural. That his feet have this signification is from correspondence. There is in the Lord, and therefore from the Lord, the divine celestial principle, the divine spiritual, and the divine na- tural ; the divine celestial is understood by the head of the Son of Man ; the divine spiritual, by his eyes, and by his breast, which was girt about with a golden girdle ; and the divine natural, by his feet ; because these three are in the Lord, therefore also they are in the angelic heaven; the third or supreme heaven is in the divine celestial principle ; the second or middle heaven is in the divine spiritual ; and the first or ultimate heaven in the divine natural : in like manner, the church upon earth : for the universal heaven before the Lord is as one man, in which, they who are in the Lord's divine celestial principle, constitute the head ; they who are Chap. 1.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 83 in the divine spiritual, constitute the body; and they who are in the divine natural, constitute the feet : hence, also, in every man, by reason of his being created after the image of God, there are these three degrees, and, as these are opened, he becomes an angel either of the third, or of the second, or of the ultimate heaven : hence, also, it is, that in the Word there are three senses ; the celestial, the spiritual, and the natural. This may be seen in The Angelic Wisdom concern- ing the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, particularly in the third part, which treats of these three degrees. That the feet, the soles of the feet, and the heels, correspond to na- tural things in man, and therefore in the Word signify things natural, may be seen in The Arcana Ccelestia, n. 2162, 4938 4952. The divine natural good is also sig- nified by feet in the following places ; in Daniel : " I lifted up mine eyes, and looked, and behold a man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz ; his body also was like the beryl, and his eyes as lamps of fire, and his arms and his feet like in colour to polished brass" (x. 5, 6). In the Apocalypse : " And I saw another mighty angel come down from heaven, and his feet as pillars of fire"(x. 1). And in Ezekiel : " The feet of the cherubs sparkled like the colour of burnished brass" (i. 7)- The reason why the angels and cherubs had that appearance, was, because the Divine of the Lord was represented in them. The Lord's church being under the heavens, thus under the Lord's feet, it is therefore called his footstool, in the following places : " The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious. And they shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet" (Isaiah Ix. 13, 14) . " The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool" (Isaiah Ixvi. 1). "The Lord hath not re- membered his footstool in the day of his anger "(Lament, ii. 1). " Worship at the footstool of Jehovah" (Psalm xcix. 5) . " Lo, we heard of it at Ephratah [Bethlehem] . We will M2 84 THB APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. go into his tabernacles; we will worship at his footstool" (Psalm cxxxii. 6, 7) 5 thence it is, that " they came and held the Lord's feet and worshiped him" (Matt, xxviii. 9; Mark v. 22 ; Luke viii. 41 ; John xi. 32) : also, that " Mary kissed his feet, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head" (Luke vii. 37, 38, 44, 46; John xi. 2; xii. 3). As by feet is signified the natural principle, therefore the Lord said unto Peter, when he washed his feet, " He that is washed, needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit" (John xiii. 10). To wash the feet, is to purify the natural man ; and when this is purified, the whole man is also puri- fied; as is abundantly shewn in The Arcana Ccelestia, and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem. The natural man, which is also the external man, is purified, when he shuns the evils which the spiritual or internal man sees to be evils and that they ought to be shunned. Now since the natural degree of man is understood by feet, and this per- verts all things if it be not washed or purified; therefore the Lord says, " And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off; it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched" (Mark ix. 45) ; here the foot is not understood, but the na- tural man. The same is understood by trampling under foot the good pasture, and troubling the waters with their feet (Ezek. xxxii. 13; xxxiv. 18, 19; Dan. vii. 7? 19; and in other places) . Since by the Son of Man, is meant the Lord as to the Word, it is evident, that by his feet is also un- derstood the Word in its natural sense ; which is much treated of in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concern- ing the Sacred Scripture; as, also, that the Lord came into the world, that he might fulfil all things of the Word, and thereby be made the Word also in ultimates, n, 98 100; but this arcanum is for those who will be in the New Jeru- salem. The Lord's divine natural degree is also signified by the brazen serpent, which was set up by the command of Chap. 1.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 85 Moses in the wilderness ; by looking upon which, all who had been bit by serpents were healed (Numb. xxi. 6, 8, 9) ; that it signified the Lord's divine natural degree, and that they are saved who look up to it, the Lord himself teaches in John : " And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilder- ness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that who- soever believeth in him should not perish, but have eternal life" (Hi. 14, 15) : the reason why the serpent was made of brass, is, because brass, as also fine brass, signifies the natural degree as to good. See below, n. 775. 50. "And his voice as the voice of many waters," signifies, divine truth natural. That voice, when proceeding from the Lord, signifies divine truth, may be seen above, n. 37 ; that waters signify truths, and, specifically, natural truths, which are knowledges from the Word, is evident from many pas- sages in the Word ; of which only the following are ad- duced : " For the earth shall be full of the knowledge of Jehovah, as the waters cover the sea" (Isaiah xi. 9). "There- fore with joy shall ye draw waters out of the wells of salvation" (Isaiah xii. 3). "He that walketh righteously and speaketh uprightly ; bread shall be given him j his waters shall be sure" (Isaiah xxxiii. 15, 16). "The poor and needy seek tvater, and there is none; and their tongue faileth for thirst : I will open rivers in high places, and fountains in the midst of the valleys : I will make the wil- derness a pool of water, and the dry land springs of water ', that they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together" (Isaiah xli. 17, 18,20). "For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground, I will pour out my spirit upon thy seed" (Isaiah xliv. 3). " Then shall thy light rise in obscurity ; and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water whose waters fail not" (Isaiah Iviii. 10, 11). " For my people have committed two evils ; they have forsaken me, the fountain of living waters, and hewed them out cisterns, that can hold no water" (Jerem. ii. 13). "And their nobles have sent their 86 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. little ones to the waters : they came to the pits and found no water ; they returned with their vessels empty" (Jerem. xiv. 3). "They have forsaken Jehovah, the fountain of living waters" (Jerem. xvi. 13). "They shall come with weeping; and with supplications will I lead them ; I will cause them to walk by rivers of waters in a straight way" (Jerem. xxxi. 9) . "I will break the staff of bread ; and they shall drink water by measure, and with astonishment : and consume away - for their iniquity " (Ezek. iv. 16, 17; xii. 18, 19; Isaiah li. 14). "Behold the days come, saith Jehovah God, that I will send a famine in the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of Jehovah : And they shall wander from sea to sea ; they shall run to and fro to seek the Word of Jehovah, and shall not find it. In that day shall the fair virgins and young men faint for thirst" ( Amos viii. 11 13). "And it shall be in that day that living waters shall go out from Jerusalem" (Zech. xiv. 8) . " Jehovah is my shepherd ; he leadeth me beside the still waters " (Psalm xxiii. 1, 2). "Behold he smote the rock, and the waters gushed out, and the streams over- flowed" (Psalm Ixxviii. 20). "O God, thou art my God ; early will I seek thee : my soul thirsteth for thee, in a dry and thirsty land where no water is" (Psalm Ixiii. 1). "Je- hovah sendeth out his Word, he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow" (Psalm cxlvii. 18). " Praise Jehovah, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens" (Psalm cxlviii. 4). Jesus, as he sat at Jacob's well, said unto the woman, "Whosoever drinketh of this ivater, shall thirst again : but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him, shall never thirst ; but the water that I shall give him, shall be in him a well of water spring- ing up into everlasting life" (John iv. 6 14). Jesus said, " If any man thirst, let him come unto me, and drink. He that believeth on me, as the Scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water" (John vii. 37, 38). " I will give unto him that is athirst, of the fountain of the Chap. 1.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 87 water of life freely" (Apoc. xxi. 6). "And he shewed me a river of water of life, proceeding out of the throne of God, and of the Lamb"(Apoc. xxii. 1). "And the Spirit and the Bride say, come. And let him that heareth say, come. And let him that is athirst, come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely" (Apoc. xxii. 17). By waters, in these passages, are understood truths : hence it is evident, that by the voice of many waters, is understood the divine truth of the Lord in the Word; as, also, in these places : " And, behold the glory of the God of Israel came from the way of the east, and his voice was like a noise of many waters: and the earth shined with his glory "(Ezek. xliii. 2) . " And I heard a voice from heaven as the voice of many waters" (A^oc. xiv. 2). "The voice of Jehovah is upon the waters: Jehovah is upon many waters" (Psalm xxix. 3). When it is known, that by waters in the Word, are meant truths in the natural man, it may appear what was signified by washings, in the Israelitish church j and also what is signified by baptism ; and likewise by these words of the Lord, in John : " Except a man be born of water, and of the spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God"(iii. 5). To be born of water, signifies to be born by truths ; and of the spirit, signifies by a life according to them. That waters in an opposite sense signify falses, will be seen in what follows. 51. "And he had in his right hand seven stars," signifies, all knowledges of goodness and truth in the Word from him, which are thence with the angels of heaven and men of the church. About the angels, when they are beneath the heavens, there appear, as it were, little stars in great abund- ance ; and, in like manner, about spirits, who, when they lived in the world, had acquired to themselves knowledges of goodness and truth, or, truths of life and doctrine from the Word. These stars appear fixed, with those who are in genuine truths from the Word ; but wandering, with those 88 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. who are in falsified truths. Concerning these little stars, as, also, concerning the stars which appear there in the firma- ment, I could relate wonderful things, but it does not belong to this work : hence it is evident, that by stars are signified knowledges of goodness and truth from the Word. The Son of Man's having them in his right hand, signifies, that they are from the Lord alone through the Word. That seven, signify all, may be seen above, n. 10. That knowledges of things good and true from the Word, are signified by stars, may also appear from these passages : ' ' I will lay the 'earth desolate : For the stars of heaven and the constellations thereof shall not give their light" (Isaiah xiii. 9, 10) : the earth, which shall be laid desolate, is the church ; which, being vastated, the knowledges of things good and true in the Word do not appear. " And when I shall put thee out, I will cover the heaven and make the stars thereof dark : All the bright lights of heaven will I make dark over thee, and set darkness upon thy land"(Ezek. xxxii. 7? 8) : dark- ness upon the land, means falses in the church. " The sun and the moon are darkened, and the stars have withdrawn their shining" (Joel ii. 10, 11 5 iii. 15). "Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven" (Matt. xxiv. 29; Mark xiii. 24). "And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig-tree casteth her untimely figs!' (Apoc. vi. 13). "And I saw a star fall from heaven unto the earth" (Apoc. ix. 1). By stars falling from heaven are not to be understood stars, but that the knowledges of things good and true will perish. This is still more evident from its being said, that the tail of the dragon drew the third part of the stars from heaven (Apoc. xii. 4) : also, that the he-goat cast down some of the stars and stamped upon them (Dan. viii. 8 11) : therefore in the next verse, in Daniel, it is also said, that it cast down the truth to the ground (verse 12). The knowledges of things Chap. 1.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 89 good and true, are also signified by stars, in these passages : " Jehovah telleth the number of the stars ; he calleth them all by their names" (Psalm clxvii. 4). " Praise Jehovah all ye stars of light" (Psalm cxlviii. 3) . " The stars in their courses fought against Sisera" (Judges v. 20). From hence it ap- pears what is meant by these words in Daniel : " And they that be wise shall shine as the brightness of the firmament ; and they that turn many to righteousness, as the stars for ever and ever"(xii. 3). They that be wise, are such as are in truths ; and they that turn many to righteousness, are such as are in goods. 52. " And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword," signifies, the dispersion of falses by the Word, and by doctrine thence from the Lord. Sword very often occurs in the Word, and by it nothing else is signified but truth fighting against falses and destroying them; and, also, in an opposite sense, the false fighting against truths : for by wars in the Word, are signified spiritual wars, which are wars of truth against falsity, and of falsity against truth ; wherefore, by weapons of war, such things are signified as are made use of in spiritual conflict. That the dispersion of falses by the Lord is here understood, is evident, because the sword was seen to go out of his mouth ; and to go out of the mouth of the Lord, is to go out of the Word, for this the Lord spake with his mouth ; and as the Word which is drawn from it is understood by the doctrine, this is also signified. It is called a sharp two-edged sword, because it penetrates the heart and souL To shew that by sword is here meant the dispersion of falses by the Word from the Lord, some pas- sages shall be adduced in which sword is mentioned : " A sword upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men. A sword is upon the liars, and they shall dote : a sivord is upon her mighty men, and they shall be dismayed. A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots ; a sword is upon her treasures ; and they VOL. I. N 90 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. shall be robbed. A drought is upon her waters, and they shall be dried up" (Jerem. 1. 35 38). These things are said of Babylon, by which those are understood, who falsify and adulterate the Word ; therefore by the liars who will dote, and the horses and chariots upon whom there is a sword, and the treasures which will be taken away, are signified the falses of their doctrines : that the waters upon which is a drought that they may be dried up, signify truths, may be seen above, n. 50. " Prophesy, and say, A sword is sharpened, and also furbished. It is sharpened to make a sore slaughter ; and let the sword be doubled the third time ; the sword of the slain ; it is the sword of the great men that are slain, which entereth into their privy cham- bers" (Ezek. xxi. 9 20). By sword is here also meant the devastation of truth in the church. " Jehovah will plead by his sword with all flesh, and the slain of Jehovah shall be many" (Isaiah Ixvi. 16) . They are called the slain of Jehovah here, and in other parts of the Word, who perish by falses. "The spoilers are come upon all high places through the wilderness : for the sword of Jehovah shall devour from the one end of the land, even to the other" (Jerem. xii. 12). (t -yy e g a t our Drea( j with the peril of our lives, because of the sword of the wilderness" (Lament, v. 9). "Woe to the idle shepherd that leaveth the flock ! the sword shall be upon his arm and upon his right eye"(Zech. xi. 17). The sword upon the right eye of the shepherd is the falsity of his un- derstanding. " Even the sons of men whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword" (Psalm. Ivii. 4). "Behold they belch out with their mouth : swords are in their lips" (Psalm lix. 7) " The workers of iniquity who whet their tongue like a sword" (Ps&lm Ixiv. 3). The same is signified by sword in other places, as in Isaiah xiii. 13, 15 ; xxi. 14, 15 ; xxvii. 1 ; xxxi. 7? 8; Jerem. ii. 30; v. 12; xi. 22; xiv. 1318; Ezek. vii. 15; xxxii. 1O 12. Hence it may appear what the Lord meant by sword in the fol- Chap, i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 91 lowing passages : " Jesus said, that he came not to send peace on earth, but a sword" (Matt. x. 34). Jesus said, " He that hath a purse and a scrip, let him take it, and he that hath no sword let him sell his garment and buy one. And his disciples said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough" (Luke xxii. 36, 38) . "For all they that take the sword, shall perish with the sword " (Matt. xxvi. 52). Jesus says, concerning the con- summation of the age : " They shall fall by the edge of the sivord, and shall be led away captive into all nations, and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles "(Luke xxi. 24) . The consummation of the age, is the last time of the church ; the sword, is falsity destroying truth ; the Gentiles, are evils ; Jerusalem which shall be trodden down, is the church. Hence, then, it is evident, that by a sharp sword going out of the mouth of the Son of Man, is signified the dispersion of falses by the Lord by means of the Word. The same is signified in the following passages in the Apoca- lypse : " And there was given unto him a great sword who sat upon the red horse" (vi. 4). "And out of his mouth who sat upon the white horse goeth a sharp sword, that with it he should smite the nations. And the remnant were slain with the sivord of him that sat upon the horse" (xix. 15, 21). By him who sat upon the white horse, is un- derstood the Lord as to the Word, which is plainly declared, verse 13, 16. The same is understood in David : " Gird thy sivord upon thy thigh, O most Mighty, with thy glory and thy majesty. And in thy majesty ride prosperously be- cause of truth. Thine arrows are sharp in the heart of the king's enemies" (Psalm xlv. 3 5) : speaking of the Lord. And in another place : " Let the saints be joyful in glory, and a two-edged sword in their hand" (Psalm cxlix. 5, 6). And in Isaiah: " Jehovah hath made my mouth a sharp sword" (xlix. 2). 53. " And his face was as the sun shineth in his power," N2 92 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap; 1. signifies, the divine love and the divine wisdom, which are himself, and proceed from himself. That by the face of Je- hovah, or of the Lord, is understood the Divine Himself in his Essence, which is divine love and divine wisdom himself, will be thus seen in the explanations below, where mention is made of the face of God. The same is signified by the sun shining in his strength. That the Lord is seen as a sun in heaven before the angels, and that it is his divine love, together with his divine wisdom, which have that appearance, may be seen in the work concerning Heaven and Hell, n. 116 125; and in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, n. 83 1/2. It re- mains here only to be confirmed from the Word, that the sun, when mentioned in reference to the Lord, signifies his divine love, and at the same time his divine wisdom ; this may ap- pear from the following places : " In that day the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be seven-fold, as the light of seven days" (Isaiah xxx. 26) . That day, is the advent of the Lord, when the old church is destroyed, and a new one is about to be established ; the light of the moon, is faith from charity, and the light of the sun, is intelligence and wisdom from love, and thus from the Lord. " Thy sun shall no more go down ; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself : for Jehovah shall be thine everlast- ing light" (Isaiah Ix. 20). The sun which shall not set, is love and wisdom from the Lord. "The rock of Israel spake unto me : And he shall be as the light of the morning when the sun riseth"(2 Sam. xxiii. 3, 4). The rock of Israel, is the Lord. "His throne shall be as the sun before me" (Psalm Ixxxix. 36, 37) . This is said of David : but by David is there meant the Lord. " They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon endure. In his days shall the righteous flourish, and abundance of peace so long as the moon en- dureth : his name shall be continued as long as the sun : and men shall be blessed in him" (Psalm Ixxii. 5, 7, 17) . This also Chap, i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEAUBD. 93 is said of the Lord. As the Lord appears as a sun in heaven in the sight of the angels, therefore when he was trans- figured, " his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light" (Matt. xvii. 2). And it is said of the strong angel who came down from heaven, that he was "clothed with a cloud, and his face was as it were the szm"(Apoc. x. 1) : and of the woman, that she appeared "clothed with the m"(Apoc. xii. 1). The sun in these passages also signifies love and wisdom from the Lord ; the woman is the church, which is called the New Jerusalem. Since, by the sun, is understood the Lord as to love and wisdom, it is evident what is signified by sun in ' the fol- lowing places : " And it shall come to pass in that day, that the moon shall be confounded, and the sun ashamed, when Jehovah of hosts shall reign in mount Zion" (Isaiah xxiv. 21, 23). " And when I shall have put thee out, I will cover the heavens, and make the stars thereof dark ; I will cover the sun with a cloud, and the moon shall not give her light : and I will set darkness upon thy land"(Ezek. xxxii. 7, 8). "The day of Jehovah cometh, a day of darkness, the sun and the moon shall be dark, and the stars shall withdraw their shining" (Joel ii. 1, 10). "The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and terrible day of Jehovah come"(Joel ii. 31). "The day of Jehovah is near in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened" ( Joel iii. 14, 15). "And the fourth angel sounded, and the third part of the sun was smitten, and the third part of the stars, and the day shone not for a third part of it"(Apoc. viii. 12). "And the sun became black as sack-cloth of hair, and the moon became as blood" (Apoc. vi. 12). "And the sun and the air were darkened by the smoke of the pit" (Apoc. ix. 2). In these passages, by sun, is not meant the sun of this world, but the sun of the angelic heaven, which is the divine love and the divine wisdom of the Lord ; these are said to be obscured, 94 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. darkened, covered, and to become black, when there are evils and falses in man. Hence it is evident, that the same is meant by the Lord's words, where he speaks of the con- summation of the age, which is the last time of the church : " Immediately after the tribulation of those days shall the sun be darkened, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven" (Matt. xxiv. 29 ; Mark xiii. 24, 25) . And in like manner in the following passages : " And the sun shall go down over the prophets, and the day shall be dark over them"(Micah iii. 5, 6). " In that day I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in the clear day" (Amos viii. 9). " She that hath borne seven hath given up the ghost ; her sun is gone down while it was yet day"(Jerem. xv. 9). Speaking of the Jewish church, which was to breathe out its soul, or, in other words, would perish : the sun shall set, signifies that there will be no longer any love and charity. What is said in Joshua, That the sun stood still upon Gibeon, and the moon in the valley of Ajalon (x. 12, 13), appears as if it was his- torical, but it is prophetic, being quoted from the book of Jasher, which was a prophetic book ; for it is said, " Is not this written in the book of Jasher ? (verse 13) ; the same book is also mentioned as prophetic by David, 2 Sam. i. 17, 18 ; something similar is also said in Habakkuk : " The mountains trembled, the sun and moon stood still in their habitation" (iii. 10). "Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself "(Isaiah Ix. 20) : for to make the sun and moon stand still would be to destroy the universe. The Lord, as to his divine love and his divine wisdom, being meant by the sun, therefore the ancients in their holy worship turned their faces to the rising sun ; and also their temples ; which custom still continues. That the sun and moon of this world are not understood in these places, is evident from its having been considered profane and abominable to adore them, as may be seen in Numb. Chap. 1.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 96 xxv. 1 4 ; Deut. iv. 19 ; xvii. 3, 5 ; Jerem. viii. 1, 2 j xliii. 10, 13 ; xliv. 1719, 25 ; Ezek. viii. 16 ; for by the sun of this world, is understood self-love and the pride of self-de- rived intelligence ; and self-love is diametrically opposite to divine love; and the pride of self-derived intelligence is opposite to divine wisdom. To adore the sun of this world is also to acknowledge nature to be creative, and self-derived prudence to be effective of all things, which implies a negation of God, and a negation of the Divine Providence. 54. " And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead," signifies, that from such presence there was a defect or deprivation of his own life. Man's proper life cannot sus- tain the presence of the Lord, such as the Lord is in him- self ; nor such as he is intimately in his Word ; for the Divine Love is just like the sun, which no one can bear as it is in itself, without being consumed. This is what is meant by saying that " no one can see God and live"(Exod. xxxiii. 20 ; Judges xiii. 22). This being the case, the Lord appears to the angels in heaven as a sun, at a distance from them, as the sun of this world is from men ; the reason is, because the Lord in himself is in that sun. But yet the Lord so moderates and tempers his Divine Essence as to enable man to sustain his presence, which is done by veil- ings or coverings ; such was the case when he revealed him- self to many in the Word ; yea, by veils or coverings he is present in every one who worships him ; as he himself says in John : u He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them ; I will manifest myself to him" (xiv. 21, 23) . " That he will be in them, and they in him"(xv. 4, 5). Hence it is evident, why John, when he saw the Lord in such glory, fell at his feet as dead ; and also, why the three disciples, when they saw the Lord in glory, were heavy with sleep, and a cloud covered them (Luke ix. 32, 34) . 5. " And he laid his right hand upon me," signifies, life then inspired from him. The reason why the Lord laid his 96 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. I. right hand upon him, is, because communication is produced by the touch of the hands, for the life of the mind, and thence of the body, puts itself forth into the arms, and through them into the hands; on this account, the Lord touched with his hand those whom he restored to life and healed, Mark i. 31, 41 ; vii. 32, 33 ; viii. 2227 ; x. 13, 16; Luke v. 12, 13; vii. 14; xviii. 15; xxii. 51; and in like manner, " After his disciples saw Jesus trans- figured, he touched them, and they fell on their faces" (Matt. xvii. 6, 7) The origin of this is, because the pre- sence of the Lord with man is adjunction, and thus conjunc- tion by contiguity, and this contiguity is nearer and fuller in proportion as man loves the Lord, that is, does his com- mandments. From these few considerations it may appear, that by laying his right hand upon him, is signified, inspiring him with his life. 56. " Saying unto me, Fear not," signifies, resuscitation, and at the same time adoration from the most profound humilia- tion. That it signifies resuscitation to life, is a consequence of what went before, n. 55 ; and that it signifies adoration from the most profound humiliation, is evident, for he fell at the Lord's feet ; and as a holy fear seized him, the Lord said, on his being resuscitated, Fear not. Holy fear, which sometimes is joined with a sacred tremor of the interiors of the mind, and sometimes with horripilation*, supervenes, when life enters from the Lord in place of man's proper life; the proper life of man is to look from himself to the Lord, but life from the Lord is to look from the Lord to the Lord, and yet as if from himself ; when man is in this latter life, he sees that he himself is not any thing, but only the Lord. Daniel also was in this holy fear, when he saw the man clothed in linen, whose loins were girded with fine gold of Uphaz, his body like the beryl, his face like lightning, his * Erection of the hair caused by horror. Chap, i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 97 eyes like lamps of fire, and his arms and feet as the shining of polished brass, upon seeing whom Daniel also became as dead, and a hand touched him, and a voice said, Fear not, Daniel (Dan. x. 5 12). Something similar occurred to Peter, James, and John, when the Lord was transfigured, and appeared, as to his face, like the sun, and his garments as the light, upon which they also fell upon their faces, and were sore afraid, and then Jesus came and touched them, saying, Be not afraid (Matt. xvii. 5, 6, 7) The Lord also said unto the woman who saw him at the sepulchre, Fear not (Matt, xxviii. 10) . Likewise the angel, whose face was like lightning, and his garment as snow, said unto those women, Fear not ye (Matt, xxviii. 3, 4, 5) . The angel said to Zechariah also, Fear not (Luke i. 12, 13) . In like man- ner the angel said to Mary, Fear not (Luke i. 30) . The angel said to the shepherds also, when the glory of the Lord shone round about them, Fear not, (Luke ii. 9, 10). A similar holy fear seized Simon, by reason of the draught of fishes; therefore he said, Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord; but Jesus said unto him, Fear not (Lukev. 8, 9, 10) ; besides others places. These are adduced that it may be known why the Lord said to John, Fear not, and that by it is denoted resuscitation, and then adoration from the most profound humiliation. 57. " I am the First and the Last," which signifies that He alone is eternal and infinite, therefore the only God, may appear from the explanation above, n. 13, 29, 38. 58. "And am He that liveth," signifies, who alone is life, and from whom alone is life. Jehovah, in the Word of the Old Testament, calls himself the LIFE and the LIVING, be- cause he alone lives ; for he is love itself and wisdom itself, and these are life. That there is one only life, which is God, and that angels and men are recipients of life from him, is abundantly shewn in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom. Jehovah calls him- VOL. I. O 98 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. self the Living and him that Liveth, in Isaiah xxxviii. 18, 19 ; Jerem. v. 2 ; xii. 16 ; xvi. 14, 15 ; xxiii. 7 ', 8 ; xlvi. 18 ; Ezek. v. 11. The Lord as to his Divine Humanity also is life, because the Father and he are one; therefore he says, " As the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life in himself " (John v. 26). (f Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life" (John xi. 25) . " Jesus said, lam the way, the truth, and the life" (John xiv. 6). " In the beginning was the Word, and God was the Word ; in him was life; and the Word was made flesh" (John i. 1 4, 14). Because the Lord is alone life, it follows, that from him alone life is derived, therefore he says, " Because / live, ye shall live also" (John xiv. 19). 59. " And was dead," signifies, that he was neglected in the church_, and his Divine Humanity not acknowledged. By his becoming dead is not understood that he was crucified, and so died, but that he was neglected in the church, and his Divine Humanity not acknowledged, for so he became dead among men. His divinity from eternity is indeed ac- knowledged, but this is Jehovah himself ; but his Humanity is not acknowledged to be divine, although the divine essence and the human in him are like soul and body, and therefore are not two but one, yea one person, according to the doctrine received throughout the whole Christian world, which has its name from Athanasius. When, therefore, the divine in him is separated from the human, by saying that his Humanity is not divine, but like the human essence of any other man, in this case he is dead among men. But concerning this sepa- ration, and consequent death of the Lord, more may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord ; and in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Provi- dence, n. 262, 263. 60. (( And, behold, I am alive for ever and ever," signifies, that he is life eternal. Now as, who am alive, signifies, that he alone is life, and from him alone life is derived as above, Chap. 1.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 99 n. 58, it follows, that, Behold, I am alive for ever and ever, signifies that he alone is life to eternity, and consequently that eternal life is from him alone; for eternal life is in him, and con- sequently from him. For ever and ever, signifies eternity. That eternal life is from the Lord alone, is plain from the following passages : " Jesus said, whosoever believeth on me shall not perish, but have everlasting life" (John iii. 16). "Every one that believeth in the Son hath everlasting life, but he who believeth not in the Son, shall not see life, but the wrath of God abideth on him" (John vi. 40, 47, 48). "Verily, I say unto you, he that believeth on me hath everlasting life" (John vi. 47) . " I am the resurrection and the life, he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live : and whosoever believeth in me, shall never die" (John xi. 24, 26) : and in other places. Hence, then, the Lord is called, He that is alive for ever and ever : as also in the following passages of the Apoca- lypse, iv. 9, 10; v. 14; x. 6; Dan. iv. 34. 61. "Amen," signifies, the divine confirmation that it is the truth. That amen is the truth, which is the Lord, may be seen above, n. 23. 62. " And have the keys of hell and death," signifies, that he alone has power to save. By keys is signified the power of opening and shutting ; in this instance, the power of open- ing hell, that man may be brought forth, and of shutting it, lest, when he is brought forth, he should enter it again ; for man is born in evils of all kinds, thus in hell, for evils are hell : he is brought out of it by the Lord, to whom belongs the power of opening it. The reason why by having the keys of hell and death, is not understood the power of casting into hell, but the power of saving, is, because it follows immedi- ately after these words : " Behold I am alive for ever and ever;" by which is signified that he alone is eternal life, n. 60; and the Lord never casts any one into hell, but man casts himself. By keys is signified the power of opening and shutting, in the Apocalypse also, iii. 7; ix. 1; xx. 1 : also in Isaiah, xxii. 21, o2 100 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. 22; in Matthew, xvi. 19; and in Luke, xi. 52. The power of the Lord is not only over heaven, but also over hell; for hell is kept in order and connexion by oppositions against heaven ; for which reason, he who governs the one must necessarily govern the other; otherwise man could not be saved: to be saved is to be brought out of hell. 63. " Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter," signifies, that all the things now revealed are for the use of posterity ; as may appear without explanation. 64. (( The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks," signifies, arcana in visions concerning the new heaven and the new church. That by seven stars is signified the church in the heavens, and by seven candlesticks the church upon earth, will be seen in what now follows. 65. " The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches," signifies, the New Church in the heavens, which is the new heaven. The church exists in the heavens as well as upon earth; for the Word is in the heavens as well as upon earth, and there are doctrines and preachings from it: on which subject see The New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scrip- ture, n. 70 75, and n. 104 113. That church is the new heaven, concerning which something is said in the preface. The reason why the church in the heavens, or the new hea- ven, is meant by the seven stars, is, because it is said, that the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches, and by angel is signified a heavenly society. In the spiritual world there appears a firmament full of stars, as in the natural world, and this appearance is from the angelic societies in heaven : each society there shines like a star to those who are below; hence they there know in what situation the angelic societies are. That seven does not signify seven, but all who are of the church there, according to the reception of each, may be seen above, n. 10, 14, 41 ; therefore, by the angels of the seven Chap, i.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 101 churches, is meant the universal church in the heavens, con- sequently the new heaven in the aggregate. 66. " And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches," signifies, the New Church upon earth, which is the New Jerusalem descending from the Lord out of the new heaven. That the candlesticks are the church, may be seen above, n. 43; and whereas seven signify all, n. 10, by the seven candlesticks are not understood seven churches, but the church in the aggregate, which in itself is one, but various according to reception. Those varieties may be compared to the various jewels in the crown of a king; and they may also be compared to the various members and organs in a perfect body, which yet make a one. The perfection of every form consists in various things being suitably disposed in their order : hence it is, that the universal new church is described, as to its various particulars, by the seven churches, in what follows. 67- THE FAITH OP THE NEW HEAVEN AND NEW CHURCH, COMPREHENDED IN ONE UNIVERSAL IDEA, is this, that the Lord from eternity, who is Jehovah, came into the world to subdue the hells and glorify his Humanity; and that without this no flesh could have been saved ; and that they will be saved who believe in him. It is said, in a universal idea, because this is the universal of faith, and the universal of faith is what enters into all and every particular. It is a universal of faith that God is one in person and in essence, in whom there is a trinity, and that the Lord is that God. It is a universal of faith, that no mortal could have been saved unless the Lord had come into the world. It is a universal of faith that he came into the world that he might remove hell from man; and that he did remove it by successive combats against it and victories over it; whereby he finally subdued it, and reduced it to order, and under obedience to himself. It is also a universal of faith, that he came into the world to glorify the Humanity, which he as- 102 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. i. sumed in the world, that is, to unite it with the all-begetting divinity, from whom are all things : thus having subdued hell, he keeps it in order, and under obedience, to eternity. Now as neither of these could have come to pass except by means of temptations, even to the last and most extreme of all, which was the passion of the cross, therefore he endured it. These are the universals of faith concerning the Lord. The universal of the Christian faith on man's part, is, to believe in the Lord; for by believing in him he has conjunc- tion with him, and by conjunction, salvation. To believe in him is to have confidence that he will save ; and because none can have such confidence but he who leads a good life, there- fore this also is understood by believing in him. These two universals of the Christian faith have been speci- fically treated of; the first, which relates to the Lord, in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord; and the second, which relates to man, in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning Charity and Faith, and in The Doc- trine of Life: and both now in the explanations of the Apocalypse. CHAPTER II. 1 . U NTO the angel of the Church of Ephesus write ; These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candlesticks. 2. I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy endurance, and how thou canst not bear them that are evil, and hast tried them that say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars. 3. And hast borne, and hast endurance, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. Chap, ii.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 103 4. Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, that thou hast left thy first charity. 5. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen ; and repent, and do the first works ; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except ^thou repent. 6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. 7- He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches : To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God. 8. And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write ; These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead, and is alive. 9. I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty (but thou art rich), and I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan. 10. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried : and ye shall have tribulation ten days : be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. 1 1 . He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches : He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death. 12. And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith He that hath the sharp sword with two edges. 13. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, even where Satan's throne is : and thou boldest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth. 14. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who 104 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. H. taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. 15. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans ; which thing I hate. 16. Repent, or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. 17. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches ; To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna ; and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it. 18. And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write : These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass. 19. I know thy works, and charity, and service, and faith, and thy endurance, and thy works ; and the last to be more than the first. 20. Notwithstanding, I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, who calleth her- self a prophetess, to teach, and to seduce my servants to commit whoredom, and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. 21. And I gave her time to repent of her whoredom 5 and she repented not. 22. Behold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that com- mit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they re- pent of their deeds. 23. And I will kill her children with death. And all the churches shall know that I am he that searcheth the reins and hearts ; and I will give unto every one of you according to your works. 24. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak j I will put upon you none other burden. Chap, ii.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 105 25. Nevertheless, that which ye have, hold fast till I come. 26. And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations : 27. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron, as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers : even as I received of my Father. 28. And"l will give him the morning star. 29. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. THE SPIRITUAL SENSE. 68. THE CONTENTS OF THE WHOLE CHAPTER. To the churches in the Christian world : to those therein, who primarily re- gard truths of doctrine and not good of life, who are under- stood by the church of Ephesus, n. 72 90. To those therein who are in good as to life and in falses as to doctrine, who are understood by the church in Smyrna, n. 91 106. To those therein who place the all of the church in good works, and not any thing in truths, who are understood by the church in Pergamos, n. 107123. And to those therein who are in faith originating in charity, as also to those who are in faith separated from charity, who are understood by the church in Thyatira, n. 124 152. All these are called to the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem. THE CONTENTS OF EACH VERSE. '" Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write," signifies, to those and concerning those, who primarily respect truths of doctrine, and not good of life : " These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand," signifies, the Lord, from whom, by the Word, proceed all truths : "Who walketh in the midst of the VOL. I. P 106 TIJE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. ii. seven golden candlesticks," signifies, from whom all illumin- ation is received by those who are of his church : " I know thy works," signifies, that he sees all the interiors and ex- teriors of man at once : " And thy labour and thy endurance," signifies, their study and patience : " And how thou canst not bear them that are evil," signifies, that they cannot bear that evil should be called good, nor the reverse : " And hast tried them that say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars," signifies, that they scrutinize those things which are called goods and truths in the church, which never- theless are vils and falses : " And hast borne and hast en- durance," signifies, patience with them : e ' And for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted," signifies, their study and endeavour to attain the things which belong to religion and its doctrine : " Nevertheless I have somewhat against thee, that thou hast left thy first charity," signifies, that this is against them that they do not esteem good of life in the first place : " Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen," signifies, remembrance of their error : " And re- pent, and do the first works," signifies, that they ought to invert the state of their life : " Or else, I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent," signifies, that otherwise, of a certainty, illumination will not be given them to see truths any longer: "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate," signifies, that they know this by virtue of the truths they possess, and thence are not willing that works should be meritorious : " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies, that he that understands, ought to obey what the divine truth of the Word teaches those who are to be of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem : " To him that overcometh," signifies, he who fights against evils and falses, and is reformed : " Will I give to eat of the tree of life," Chap, ii.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. signifies, appropriation of the good of love and charity from the Lord : "Which is in the midst of the paradise of God," signifies, interiorly in the truths of wisdom and faith. "And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write," sig- nifies, to those and concerning those, who are in good as to life, but in falses as to doctrine : " These things saith the First and the Last," signifies, the Lord, that he is the only God : " Who was dead and is alive," signifies, that he is neglected in the church, and his Humanity not acknowledged to be divine, when yet as to that also he alone is life, and from him alone is life everlasting : " I know thy works," signifies, that the Lord sees all their interiors and exteriors at once : " And tribulation and poverty (but thou art rich)," signifies, that they are in falses, and thence not in goods : " And I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not," signifies, the false assertion that they possess the goods of love, when in fact they do not : " But are the synagogue of Satan," signifies, because they are in falses as to doctrine : " Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer," signifies, despair not, wKen infested by evils and assaulted by falses : "Behold the devil shall cast some of you into prison," signifies, that their good of life will be infested by evils from hell : "That ye may be tried," signifies, by falses fighting against them : " And ye shall have tribulation ten days," signifies, that it will endure its full time : " Be thou faithful unto death," signifies, reception of truths until falses are removed: " And I will give thee a crown of life," signifies, that they will then have eternal life, the reward of victory : " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies here, as before: "He that overcometh," signifies, he that fights against evils and falses, and is re- formed : " Shall not be hurt of the second death," signifies, that afterwards they shall not yield to evils and falses from hell. " And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write," sig- p2 108 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. ii. nines, to those and concerning those, who place the all of the church in good works, and not any thing in truths of doc- trine: " These things saith he that hath the sharp sword with two edges," signifies, the Lord as to the truths of doc- trine from the Word, by which evils and falses are dispersed : " I know thy works," signifies here, as before : " And where thou dwellest, even where Satan's throne is," signifies, their life in darkness : " And thou boldest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith," signifies, when yet they have religion and worship according to it : <( Even in those days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth," signifies, when all truth was extin- guished by falses in the church : "But I have a few things against thee," signifies, that' the things which follow are against them : " Because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling- block before the children of Israel to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication," signifies, that there are some among them who do hypocritical works, by which the worship of God in the church is defiled and adulterated : " So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Ni- colaitans, which thing I hate," signifies, that there are some among them also who make works meritorious : " Repent," signifies, that they should take heed of such works : "Or else, I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth," signifies, if not, that the Lord will contend with them from the Word : " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies here, as before : " To him that over- cometh," signifies here, the same as before : " Will I give to eat of the hidden manna," signifies, the appropriation then of the good of celestial love, and thus conjunction of the Lord with those who operate : "And will give him a white stone," signifies, truths affirmative and united to good: " And in the stone a new name written," signifies, that thus Chap, ii.j THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 109 they will have good of a quality such as they had not before : " Which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth it," sig- nifies, that it does not appear to any one, because it is written in their lives. " And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write," sig- nifies, to those and concerning those, who are in faith grounded in charity, and thence in good works ; and also to those and concerning those, who are in faith separated from charity, and thence in evil works : " These things saith the Son of God who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire," signifies, the Lord as to the divine wisdom of his divine love : "And his feet like fine brass," signifies, divine good natural : "1 know thy works," signifies here, as before: "And charity and service," signifies, the spiritual affection which is called charity, and its operation : " And faith, and thy endurance, and thy works," signifies, truth and the desire of acquiring and teaching it : " And the last to be more than the first," signifies, the increase thereof from the spi- ritual affection of truth : " Notwithstanding I have a few things against thee," signifies what follows : "Because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel," signifies, that among them there are some in the church who separate faith from charity : " Who calleth herself a prophetess," signifies, and who make the doctrine of faith the sole doctrine of the church : " To teach and to seduce my servants to commit whoredom," sig- nifies, from which it comes to pass that the truths of the Word are falsified : " And to eat things sacrificed unto idols," signifies, the defilement of divine worship, and profanations : " And I gave her time to repent of her whoredom, and she repented not," signifies, that they who have confirmed themselves in that doctrine will not recede, although they see things contrary to it in the Word : " Be- hold, I will cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation," signifies, that therefore they will be left in their doctrine with falsifications, 110 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. U. and that they will be grievously infested by falses : " Except they repent of their deeds," signifies, if they will not desist from separating faith from charity : f e And I will kill her children with death," signifies, that all the truths of the Word will be turned into falses : " And all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts," signifies, that the church shall know that the Lord sees the quality of every one's truth, and the quality of his good : " And I will give unto every one of you according to your works," signifies, that he gives unto every one accord- ing to the charity and its faith which is in his works : "But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine," signifies, to those with whom the doctrine of faith is separated from charity, and to those with whom the doctrine of faith is joined with charity : " And who have not known the depths of Satan as they speak," signifies, they who do not understand their interiors, which are mere falses : " I will put upon you none other burthen," signifies, only that they should beware of them : " Never- theless, that which ye have, hold fast till I come," signifies, that they should retain the few things which they know con- cerning charity, and thence concerning faith from the Word, and live according to them until the Lord's coming : " And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end," signifies, those who are in charity and thence actually in faith, and remain in them to the end of their lives : "To him will I give power over the nations," signifies, that they shall overcome the evils in themselves which are from hell : " And he shall rule them with a rod of iron," signifies, by truths from the literal sense of the Word, and at the same time by rational principles derived from natural light : " As the vessels of a potter shall they be broken to shivers," sig- nifies, as of little or no account : " Even as I received of my Father," signifies, this from the Lord, who, when he was in the world, procured to himself all power over the hells, Chap, ii.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. Ill from the divine principle which was within him : " And I will give him the morning star," signifies, intelligence and wisdom : " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies here, as before. THE EXPLANATION. 69. XHIS and the following chapter treat of the seven churches, by which are described all those in the Christian church who have any religion, and out of whom the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, can be formed ; and this is formed by those who APPROACH THE LORD ONLY, AND AT THE SAME TIME PERFORM REPENTANCE FROM EVIL WORKS. The rest, who do not approach the Lord alone, from the confirmed negation of the divinity of his Humanity, and who do not perform repentance from evil works, are in- deed in the church, but have nothing of the church in them. 70. Since the Lord alone is acknowledged as the God of heaven and earth, by those who are of his New Church in the heavens, and by those who will be of his New Church upon earth j therefore, in the first chapter of the Apocalypse the Lord alone is treated of; and in the two following chapters, it is he alone who speaks to the churches, and he alone who will give the felicities of eternal life. That it is he alone who speaks to the churches, is evident from these passages: "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write, These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden candle- sticks"^. 1). " Unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write, These things saith the First and the Last"(\\. 8). " To the angel of the church in Pergamos write, These things saith He which hath the sharp sword with two edges" (ii. 12). " Unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write, These things 112 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. ii. saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto aflame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass" (ii. 18) . " Unto the angel of the church in Sardis write. These things saith He that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars" (iii. 1). "To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things 'saith He that is holy, He that is true, He that hath the key of David" (\\\. 7)- "And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write, These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God" (\\\. 14). These expressions are taken from the first chapter, in which the Lord alone is treated of, and where he is de- scribed by all these attributes. 71 That the Lord alone will give the felicities of eternal life to those who are and will be of his church, is evident from these passages : The Lord said to the church of Ephesus, f< To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God" (ii. 7). Unto the church in Smyrna, " / will give thee a crown of life. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death" (ii. 10, 11). Unto the church in Pergamos, " To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna, and will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man kiioweth saving he that receiveth it"(ii. 17). Unto the church in Thyatira, " To him will I give power over the nations, and I ivill give him the morning star" (ii. 26, 28) . Unto the church in Philadelphia, " Him that over- cometh will I ma fee a pillar in the temple of my God; and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, and my new name*' (iii. 12) . Unto the church in Laodicea, " To him that over- cometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne" (iii. 21). From these passages it is also evident, that the Lord alone is to be acknowledged in the New Church. Hence it is that this church is called The Lamb's Wife, Apoc. xix. 7, 9; xxi. 9, 10. 72. That the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem, is Chap, ii.] TUB APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 113 to be formed of those who do repentance from evil works, is also manifest from the Lord's words to the churches : to that in Ephesus; " I know thy works ; nevertheless I have some- what against thee, that thou hast left thy first charity. He- pent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy candlestick out of his place, except thou repent"(ii.2,4,5). To the church in Pergamos; "I know thy works, repent" (ii. 13, 16). To the church in Thyatira ; " I will deliver her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds, and I will give unto every one of you according to his works" (ii. 19, 22, 23). To the church in Sardis ; " I have not found thy works perfect before God ; repent" {ill. 1, 2, 3). To the church inLaodicea; "I know thy works; be zealous, therefore, and repent" (ill. 15, 19). But to proceed to the explanation. 73. "Unto the angel of the church of Ephesus write," signifies, to those and concerning those, who primarily respect truths of doctrine and not good of life. It was shewn above, n. 66, that by the seven churches, are not meant seven churches, but the church in the aggregate, which in itself is one, but various according to reception ; and that those varieties may be compared with the various members and organs in a per- fect body, which yet make a one. They may also be compared with the various jewels in a king's crown; and hence it is that the universal New Church, with its various particulars, is described, in what now follows, by seven churches. That by the church of Ephesus, are understood those in the church who primarily respect truths of doctrine and not good of life, is clear from what is written to them, when understood in the spiritual sense. It is written to the angel of that church, because, by an angel is understood an angelic society which corresponds to a church consisting of such, as above, n. 65. 74. " These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand," signifies, the Lord, from whom, by the Word, proceed all truths. That He who holds the seven stars in his VOL. I. Q 114 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. ii. right hand, is the Lord, and that the seven stars in his right hand, are all the knowledges of good and truth in the Word, which are thence from the Lord, with the angels of heaven and men of the church, may be seen above, n. 51. The knowledges of good and truth from the Word are truths. 75. " Who walketh in the midst of the seven golden can- dlesticks," signifies, from whom all illumination is received by those who are of his church. That the seven candlesticks, in the midst of which was the Son of Man, signify the church which is in illumination from the Lord, may be seen above, n. 43 66. He is here said to be walking, because to walk signifies to live, n, 167; and in the midst signifies in the inmost and thence in all, n. 44, 383. 76. " I know thy works," signifies, that he sees all the in- teriors and exteriors of man at once. Works are often men- tioned in the Apocalypse, but few know what is meant by works. This, however, is well known, that ten men may do works which externally appear alike, and which yet differ with them all; and this because they proceed from different ends and different causes, the end and the cause rendering the works either good or bad; for every work is a work of the mind, therefore such as is the quality of the mind, such is that of the work : if the mind be charity, the work becomes cha- rity ; but if the mind be not charity, the work is not charity : still, however, they may both appear externally alike. Works appear to men in their external form, but to angels in their internal form; and to the Lord their quality is apparent from inmost to outmost. Works in their external form appear like the outside of fruits, but works in their internal form appear like the inside of fruits, where there are innumerable eatable parts, and in the midst seeds, in which there are also things innumerable, which are too minute for the keenest eye to discern, yea, which are above the intellectual sphere of man : such are all works, the internal quality of which the Lord alone sees, and which the angels also perceive from the Lord, when Chap, ii.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 115 performed by man. $ut on this subject more may be seen in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, n. 209 220, and n. 277 281 ; and also below, n. 141, 641, 868. From this it may appear, that by, "I know thy works," is signified, that the Lord sees all the interiors and exteriors of man at once. 77- " And thy labour and endurance;" that this signifies their study and patience, is evident without explanation. 78. " And how thou canst not bear them that are evil," signifies, that they cannot bear that evil shall be called good, nor the reverse, because this is contrary to the truths of doc- trine. That this is the signification of these words, is evident from what follows, by which is signified, that they scrutinize those things in the church which are called goods and truths, when yet they are evils and falses. To know goods, whether they be good or evil, pertains to doctrine, and is among its truths, but to do good or evil, pertains to life : this is said, therefore, of those who hold truths of doctrine in the first place, and not goods of life, n. 73. By them which are evil, in the spiritual sense, are not understood evil persons, but evils, because this sense is abstracted from persons. 79. " And hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars," signifies, that they scruti- nize those things which are called goods and truths in the church, which nevertheless are evils and falses. That this is what is signified, cannot be seen except by the spiritual sense, and consequently by knowing what is meant by apostles and liars : by apostles are not understood apostles, but all who teach the goods and truths of the church, and, in an abstract sense, the goods and truths themselves of its doctrine. That apostles are not understood by apostles, clearly appears from these words addressed to them : ' ' When the Son of Man shall sit on the throne of his glory, ye also shall sit upon twelve thrones judging the twelve tribes of Israel" (Matt. xix. 28; Luke xxii. 30), Who does not see that the apostles neither o2 116 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap, il, will nor can judge any one, much less the twelve tribes of Israel, but that the Lord alone will do this according to the goods and truths of the doctrine of the church from the Word ? In like manner from- this passage : " And the wall of the city- New Jerusalem had twelve foundations, and in them the names of the twelve apostles of the Lamb"(Apoc. xxi. 14); because by the New Jerusalem, is signified the New Church, n. 880, 881 ; and by its foundations, all the goods and truths of its doctrine, n. 902, and following numbers. And also from this passage: "Rejoice over her, thou heaven, and ye holy apostles and prophets" (Apoc. xviii. 20). What can the re- joicing of the apostles and prophets signify, unless by them are meant all who are in goods and truths of doctrine in the church? By the Lord's disciples are meant those who are instructed by the Lord in the goods and truths of doctrine; but by apostles they who, after they are instructed, teach them; for it is said, " Jesus sent his twelve disciples to preach the kingdom of God, and the apostles, when they were returned, told him all that they had done" (Luke ix. 1, 2, 10; Mark vi. .7, 30) . That by liars are meant they who are in falses, and, abstractedly, the falses themselves, may appear from many places in the Word, which, if they were adduced, would fill several pages; neither are lies, in the spiritual sense, any thing else but falses. From these considerations it may appear, that by " Thou hast tried them which say they are apostles, and are not, and hast found them liars," is signified, that they scrutinize those things which are said to be good and true in the church, but which nevertheless are evil and false. 80. "And hast borne and hast endurance;" that this sig- nifies their patience with them, is evident without expla- nation. 81. " And for my name r s sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted," signifies, their study and endeavour to attain, and also^to teach, the things which belong to religion and its doc- trine. By the name of Jehovah or of the Lord, in the Word, Chap, ii.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 117 is not meant his name, but all by which he is worshiped j and because he is worshiped in the church according to doc- trine : by his name is meant the all of doctrine, and, in a universal sense, the all of religion. The reason why these things are meant by the name of Jehovah, is, because in heaven no other names are given but what involve the quality of any one, and the quality of God is all by which he is worshiped. He that is not aware of this signification of name in the Word, can only understand name ; in which alone nothing of worship nor of religion is involved. He that keeps in mind, therefore, the signification of the NAME OF JEHOVAH as here explained, whenever it occurs in the Word, will understand of himself what it means in the fol- lowing places : " In that day shall ye say, praise Jehovah, call upon his name" (Isaiah xii. 4). " Jehovah, have we waited for thee ; the desire of our soul is to thy name, by thee only will we make mention of thy name" (Isaiah xxvi. 8, 13). " From the rising of the sun shall he call upon my name" (Isaiah xli. 25). " From the rising of the sun even unto the going down of the same, my name shall be great among the Gentiles ; and in every place incense shall be offered unto my name ; for my name shall be great among the Gentiles : but ye have profaned my name, in that ye say, the table of Jehovah is polluted ; and ye have snuffed at my name, when ye brought that which was torn, and lame, and sick"(Malachi i. 11, 12, 13). "For all people will walk in the name of his God, and we will walk in the name of Je- hovah our God" (Micah iv. 5) . " Every one that is called by my name, for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him" (Isaiah xliii. 7)- "Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain ; for Jehovah will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain"(Deut. v. 11). They shall worship Jehovah in one place where he will put his name (Dent. xii. 5, 11, 13, 14; xvi. 2, 6, 11, 15, 16) j besides many other places. Who may not perceive that in 118 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap, ii, these, name alone is not understood. The same is signified in the New Testament by the name of the Lord, as in the following : Jesus said, " Ye shall be hated of all men for my name's sake" (Matt. x. 22; xiv. 9). "For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them" (Matt, xviii. 20). "And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundred- fold, and shall inherit ever- lasting life" (Matt. xix. 29). "But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name" (John i. 12) . " Many believed in his name" (John ii. 23). "He that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God" (John iii. 18). They who believe will have life in his name (John xx. 31). " Blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord" (Matt. xxi. 9 ; xxiii. 39 ; Luke xiii. 35 ; xix. 38) . That the Lord, as to his Humanity, is the name of the Father, appears in these places: " Father, glorify thy name" (John xii. 28). " Hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come" (Matt. vi. 9; also Exod. xxiii. 20, 21; Jerem. xxiii. 6; Micah v. 4). That name, applied to others, signifies the quality of worship, appears in the following passages : The Shepherd of the sheep "calleth his own sheep by their name" (John x. 3) . "Thou hast a few names even in Sardis" (Apoc. iii. 4). "I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, which is New Jerusalem, and my new name" (Apoc. iii. 12) ; and in other places. From hence it may appear, that " for my name's sake thou hast laboured, and hast not fainted," signifies study and endeavour to acquire, and also to teach, the things which belong to religion and its doctrine. 82. " Nevertheless, I have somewhat against thee that thou hast left thy first charity," signifies, that this is against them that they do not esteem good of life in the first place, Chap, ii.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 119 which, nevertheless, was and is done in the beginning of every church. This is said to the church, because by it are meant those in the church, who primarily or in the first place respect truths of doctrine, and not goods of life, n. 73; when yet good of life is to be considered in the first place, that is, primarily ; for in proportion as a man is in goods of life, in the same proportion, he is really in truths of doctrine, and not vice versa; the reason is, because goods of life open the interiors of the mind, and these being opened, truths appear in their own light, whence they are not only understood, but also loved ; not so when doctrinals are pri- marily, or in the first place, respected ; in this case truths may indeed be known, but not seen interiorly, and loved from spiritual affection ; but this has been illustrated above, n. 17. Every church, at its beginning, respects goods of life in the first place, and truths of doctrine in the second; but as the church declines, it begins to respect truths of doc- trine in the first place, and goods of life in the second ; and at length in the end it respects faith alone, and then it not only separates the goods of charity from faith, but also omits them. From hence then it may appear, that by these words, "Thou hast left thy first charity," is signified, that they do not esteem good of life in the first place, which nevertheless is, and has been done at the beginning of every church. 83. " Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen;" that this signifies remembrance of their error, is plain from what has just been said. 84. " And repent, and do the first works," signifies, that they ought to invert the state of their life. Every man re- spects truths of doctrine in the first place, yet so long as he does this, he is like unripe fruit ; but he who is regenerated, after he has imbibed truths, respects good of life in the first place, and in proportion as he does so, he grows ripe like fruit ; and in proportion as he ripens, in the same proportion the seed in him becomes prolific. These two states have 120 THE APOCALYPSE RBVEALED. [Chap. ii. been witnessed by me, in men who were become spirits : in the first state, they appeared turned to the valleys which are over hell ; and in the second, to the paradises in heaven. It is this conversion of the state of life which is here under- stood. That this is effected by repentance, and after it by good of life, is understood by " Repent, and do the first works." 85. " Or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will re- move thy candlestick out of its place, except thou repent," signifies, that otherwise of a certainty illumination will not be given them to see truths any longer. By quickly is sig- nified certainly, n. 4, 947 ; and by candlestick, the church as to illumination, n. 43, 66 ; hence, by removing it out of its place, is signified to remove illumination, that they may not see truths in their own light, and at length, that they may not see them any more. This follows from what was said above, n. 82, namely, that if truths of doctrine are respected primarily, or in the first place, they may indeed be known, but not interiorly seen, and loved from spiritual affection, therefore they successively perish; for to see truths from their own light, is to see them from man's interior mind, which is called the spiritual mind, and this mind is opened by charity ; and when it is open, light and the affection of understanding truths flow in out of heaven from the Lord, which constitutes illumination. The man who is in this illumination, acknowledges truths as soon as he reads or hears them ; but it is not so with the man whose spiritual mind is not opened, who is one that is not principled in the goods of charity, howsoever he may be principled in the truths of doctrine. 86. " But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate," signifies, that they know this by virtue of the truths they possess, and thence are not willing that works should be meritorious, because this is contrary to the merit and righteousness of the Lord. That the works of Chap, li.] THE APOCALYPSK REVEALED. 121 the Nicolaitans are meritorious works, has been made known by revelation. It is said, that they hate those works, because the church from the truths of its doctrine knows this, and thence does not will it: therefore it is said, "this thou hast." Yet all those make works meritorious who put the truths of faith in the first place, and the goods of charity in the second ; but not those who put the goods of charity in the first place ; the reason is, because genuine charity admits not of merit, for it loves to do good, existing in it and acting from it; and from good it looks to the Lord ; and from truths it knows that all good is from him ; it therefore has an aversion to merit. Now because they who respect the truths of faith in the first place, cannot do any other works than such as are meritorious, and yet know, from their truths, that such works ought to be detested, therefore this follows after its having been said, that if they do not esteem charity in the first place, they do works which ought to be held in aversion. It is asserted, that it is contrary to the merit and righteousness of the Lord ; for they who place merit in works, claim righteousness to themselves ; for they say that justice is on their side because they have merit, when yet it is the greatest injustice, inasmuch as the Lord alone has merit, and alone does good in them. That the Lord alone is righteousness, is taught in Jeremiah : ' f Behold, the days come, that I will cause the branch of righteousness to grow up unto David, and this is his name whereby he shall be called, Jehovah our righteousness" (xxiii. 5, 6; xxxiii. 15, 16). 87. " He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies, that he who understands, ought to obey what the divine truth of the Word teaches those who are to be of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem. By hearing, is signified both to perceive and to obey ; because a person gives attention in order that he may perceive and obey : that both these are signified by hearing, is evident from common discourse, when we speak of hearing any one and of VOL. I. R 122 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. ii. hearkening to him; the latter signifying to obey, and the for- mer to perceive. That hearing has these two significations, is from correspondence; for they are in the province of the ears in heaven, who are in perception and at the same time in obedience. As both these things are signified by hearing, therefore the Lord so often said, " He that hath ears to hear, let him hear" (Matt. xi. 15; xiii. 43; Mark iv. 9, 23; vii. 16; Luke viii. 8; xiv. 35) : and the same is likewise said to all the churches, as is evident from verses 11, \7, 29, of this chapter, and from verses 6, 13, and 22, of the following. But by the Spirit which speaks to the churches, is signified the divine truth of the Word ; and by the churches, the universal church in the Christian world. That by the Spirit of God, which is also the Holy Spirit, is understood divine truth pro- ceeding from the Lord, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord, n. 51 ; and as the uni- versal church is understood, it is not said, what the Spirit saith to the church, but what the Spirit saith to the churches. 88. " To him that overcometh," signifies, he that fights against his evils and falses, and is reformed. Now as, in what is written to the seven churches, is described the state of all in the Christian church who are capable of receiving the doc- trine of the New Jerusalem, and of living according to it, thus who are capable, by combats against evils and falses, of being reformed; therefore it is said to each, HE THAT OVERCOMETH : as here to the church of Ephesus, " To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life." To the church in Smyrna, " He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death" (ii. 11). To the church in Pergamos, "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna" (ii. 17). To the church in Thyatira, " He that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations" (ii. 26). To the church in Sardis, "He that over- cometh, the same shall be clothed in white raiment" (iii. 5). To the church in Philadelphia, " Him that overcometh will I Chap, ii.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 123 make a pillar in the temple of my God"(iii. 12). And to the church in Laodicea, ' e To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne" (iii. 21). He that overcometh, in these places, signifies, he who fights against evils and falses, and thus is reformed. 89. " Will I give to eat of the tree of life," signifies, ap- propriation of the good of love and charity from the Lord. To eat, in the Word, signifies to appropriate ; and the tree of life, signifies the Lord as to the good of love; therefore by eating of the tree of life, is signified the appropriation of the good of love from the Lord. To eat signifies to appropriate, because as natural food, when it is eaten, is appropriated to the life of man's body, so spiritual food, when it is received, is appropriated to the life of his soul. The tree of life signi- fies the Lord as to the good of love, because nothing else is signified by the tree of LIFE in the garden of Eden; also because celestial and spiritual life is derived to man from the good of love and charity, which is received from the Lord. Tree is mentioned in many places, and by it is understood a man of the church, and in a universal sense the church itself, and by its fruit good of life; the reason is, because the Lord is the tree of life, from whom comes all good in the man of the church, and in the church : but of this in its proper place. It is said the good of love and charity, because the good of love is celestial good, which is that of love to the Lord, and the good of charity is spiritual good, which is that of love towards our neighbour. The nature and quality of these two kinds of good will be explained in what follows ; they are treated of also in the work concerning Heaven and Hell, n. 13 19. 90. " Which is in the midst of the paradise of God," sig- nifies, interiorly in the truths of wisdom and faith. In the midst signifies the inmost, n. 44, 383, here, the interior ; the paradise of God signifies the truths of wisdom and faith; therefore the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God, signifies the Lord with the good of love and charity R 2 124 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. ii. interiorly {in the truths of wisdom and faith: good is also within truths, for good is the esse of life, and truth is the ex- istere of life thence derived, as is abundantly shewn in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom. That the paradise of God means the truth of wis- dom and of faith, is evident from the signification of garden in the Word: garden there signifies wisdom and intelligence, because trees signify men of the church, and their fruits goods of life ; nothing else is signified by the garden of Eden, for by it is described the wisdom of Adam. The same is understood by the garden of God in Ezekiel : " With thy wisdom and thine intelligence thou hadst gotten thee riches : thou hast been in Eden the garden of God} every precious stone was thy covering" (xxviii. 4, 13) ; speaking of Tyre, by which is signi- fied the church as to the knowledges of truth and good, thus as to intelligence; therefore it is said, In thy wisdom and thine intelligence thou hadst gotten thee riches : by a covering of precious stones are signified the truths of intelligence. Again : " Behold, the Assyrian was a cedar in Lebanon ; the cedars in the garden of God could not hide him : nor any tree in the garden of God was like unto him in his beauty. All the trees of Eden that were in the garden of God envied him"(xxxi. 3, 8, 9) . This is said of Egypt and Ashur, because by Egypt is signified science, and by Ashur rationality, by which comes intelligence f the like is signified by cedar. But because, by his rationality, he came into the pride of self-derived intelli- gence, therefore it is said of him, ' ( To whom art thou thus like in glory and in greatness among the trees of Eden ? yet shalt thou be brought down with the trees of Eden unto the nether parts of the earth: thou shalt lie in the midst of the uncircumcised," verse 18 of the same chapter; the uncircum- cised are they who are without the good of charity. So in Isaiah : " Jehovah shall comfort Zion ; and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of Jeho- vah" (li. 3) . Zion there is the church; the wilderness and the Chap, ii.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 125 desert are the defect and ignorance of truth ; Eden and the garden of God are wisdom and intelligence. Wisdom and intelligence are also signified by garden in Isaiah Iviii. 11; Ixi. 11; Jerem. xxxi. 12; Amos ix. 14; Numb. xxiv. 6. The man of the church is also like a garden as to intelligence, when he is in the good of love from the Lord, because the spiritual heat which vivifies him is love, and spiritual light is intel- ligence thence derived. It is well known that gardens in this world flourish by means of heat and light; it is the same in heaven: in heaven there appear paradisiacal gardens, with fruit-trees according to the wisdom of the inhabitants grounded in the good of love received from the Lord : but around those who are in intelligence and not in the good of love, there do not appear gardens, but grass ; and around those who are in faith separated from charity, not even grass, but sand. 91. " And unto the angel of the church in Smyrna write," signifies, to those and concerning those, who are in good as to life, but in falses as to doctrine. That these are meant by the church in Smyrna, is clear from the things written to it when understood in the spiritual sense. 92. " These things saith the First and the Last," signifies, the Lord, that he is the only God. That the Lord calls him- self the First and the Last, also the Beginning and the End, and Alpha and Omega, and He who is, and who was, and who is to come, may be seen chap. i. 4, 8, 11, 17 j and wnat they signify, above, n. 13, 29, 30, 31, 38, 57; where it is plain, that by the above is also understood, that he is the only God. 93. " Who was dead and is alive," signifies, that he is ne- glected in the church, and his Humanity not acknowledged to be divine, when yet as to that also he alone is life, and from him alone is life everlasting. That this is understood by these words, may be seen above, n. 58, 59, 60, 'where they are ex- plained. Why these and the preceding things are said, is, because the primary falsity of those who are described by this 126 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. ii. church, is, that they do not acknowledge the Lord's Divine Humanity, and therefore do not approach him. 94. "I know thy works;" that this signifies, that the Lord sees all their interiors and exteriors at once, is evident from the same explained above, n. 76 j in the present case it denotes that he sees that they are in falses, and yet as to life in goods, which they believe to be goods of life, when yet they are not. 95. "And affliction and poverty (but thou art rich)," sig- nifies, that they are in falses, and thence not in goods. To know their affliction signifies, to see that they are in falses, and to know their poverty signifies, to see that they are not in goods ; for in the Word, affliction is predicated of falses, as above, n. 33 ; and poverty of the defect of goods, neither is spiritual poverty any thing else. Poor and needy are often mentioned in the Word, and in the spiritual sense by poor is understood one who is not in truths, and by needy one who is not in goods. These words are also added, " but thou art rich," but in a parenthesis, because in some copies they are omitted. 96. "And I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not," signifies, the false assertion that they possess the goods of love, when yet they do not. Blas- phemy here signifies false assertion ; by Jews are not sig- nified Jews, but they who are in the good of love, and, abstractedly, goods of love ; so by the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, is signified the false assertion that they possess the goods of love, when yet they do not. By Jews are meant they who are in the good of love, because in the Word by Judah in a supreme sense is meant the Lord as to the divine good of divine love, and by Israel, the Lord as to the divine truth of divine wisdom; hence by Jews are signified they who are in the good of love from the Lord, and by Israel they who are in divine truths Chap, ii.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 127 from the Lord : that these are meant by Jews, may appear from many passages, which will be adduced below, n. 350; something may also be seen on this subject in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord, n. 51. In the abstract the goods of love are meant by Jews, because the spiritual sense is abstracted from persons, as may be seen above, n. 78, 79- He who is not aware, that by Jews, in the Word, are meant those who belong to the Lord's celestial church, by reason of their being principled in love to him, is liable to fall into many mistakes when reading the pro- phetical part of the Word ; but see below, n. 350. 97. " But are the synagogue of Satan," signifies, because they are in falses as to doctrine. It is called synagogue, be- cause Jews are mentioned, and as they taught in synagogues, by synagogue is signified doctrine ; and because by Satan is understood the hell of those who are in falses, therefore it is called the synagogue of Satan. Hell is called the devil and Satan, and by the hell which is called the devil, are under- stood such there as are in evils, properly who are in self-love ; and by the hell which is called Satan, are understood such there as are in falses, properly who are in the pride of self- derived intelligence : the hells are called the devil and Satan, because all who are in them are called devils and Satans. Hence then it may appear, that by their being the synagogue of Satan, is signified that as to doctrine they are in falses. But as they who are in good as to life, and in falses as to doctrine, are here treated of, and as such know no other than that they are in good, and that their falses are truths, some- thing shall be said respecting them. All the good of worship is formed by truths, and all truth is formed from good, there- fore good without truth is not good, neither is truth, without good, truth ; they appear indeed in their external form to be so, but still they are not. The conjunction of good and truth is called the heavenly marriage ; from this is the church in man, and it is heaven in him ; if therefore there 128 THK APOCALYPSE RKVEALED. [Chap. U. are falses instead of truths in man, then he does good from a false ground, which is not good, for it is either pharisaical or meritorious, or natural connate good. But examples will illustrate this : he who is in this falsity, that he thinks he does good from himself, from his possessing the faculty of doing good ; the good of such a man is not good, because he himself is in it, and not the Lord. He who is in this falsity, that he can do good which is in itself good, without a knowledge of what is evil in himself, so without repentance, although he appears to do good, yet he does not do good, because without repentance he is in evil. He who is in this falsity, that good purifies him from evils, and does not know any thing of the evils in which he is, such a man does no other good than spurious good, which is inwardly contamin- ated by his evils. He who is in this falsity, that there is a plurality of gods, the good which such a man does is divided good, and divided good is not good. He who is in this falsity, that he believes the divinity in the Lord's Humanity is not like the soul in the body, cannot do good from him, and good not from the Lord is not good, for it is contrary to these words of the Lord : ( ' Except a man abide in me and I in him, he cannot bring forth any fruit ; for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch and is withered, and is cast into the fire and burned' '(John xv. 4, 5, 6) ; and so in many other instances ; for good derives its quality from truths, and truths derive their esse from good. Who does not know, that the church is no church without doctrine, and doctrine must teach how a man is to think of God and from God ; and how he is to act from God and with God; therefore doctrine must be de- rived from truths^ to act according to which, is what is called good ; whence it follows, that to act according to falses is not good. It is thought, that in the good which a man does, there is not any thing derived from truths or falses, when yet the quality of good is not derived from any other source, Chap, ii.] THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 129 for they cohere together like love and wisdom, and also like love and foolishness ; it is the love of the wise man which does good, but the love of the fool does what is like good in externals, but totally unlike it in internals ; therefore the good of a wise man is like pure gold, but the good of a fool is like gold covering dirt. 98. " Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer," signifies, despair not when ye are infested by evils and as- saulted by falses, because they who are in goods as to life, and in falses as to doctrine, cannot but be so infested and assaulted. This is plain from what now follows. 99. " Behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison," signifies, that their good of life will be infested by evils from hell. That this is signified by being cast into custody or into prison by the devil, is, because by the devil is meant the hell where they are who are in evils, and thus, abstractedly, the evil which is there and from thence, n. 97. To be cast into prison, denotes to be infested, because they who are infested by evils from hell, are as if they were bound in prison, for they cannot think any thing but evil, when yet they will what is good; hence comes combat and interior anxiety, from which they cannot be released, being like persons who are in bonds ; the reason is, because their good is not good so far as it coheres with falses, and so far as it coheres with falses, evil is in it ; therefore it is that which is infested. But this in- festation does not exist in the natural world, but in the spiritual world, thus after death. It has often been permitted me to see their infestations ; they lament, saying, that they have done good, and desire to do good, and yet now they cannot, because of the evils which surround them. But still they are not all alike infested, but more severely according as they have confirmed themselves in falses, therefore it is said the devil shall cast some of you into prison. That the con- firmation of what is false is hurtful, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred VOL. I. S 130 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. U. Scripture, n. 91 97. In the Word, by prisoners the same is signified as here by those who will be cast into prison, as in these places : I will " give thee for a covenant of the people, to bring out the prisoners from the prison, and them that sit in darkness out of the prison-house" (Isaiah xlii. 6, 7; xlix. 8, 9). " Jehovah hath sent me, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound" (Isaiah Ixi. 1). "By the blood of thy covenant I have sent forth thy prisoners out of the pit"(Zech. ix. 11). "God bringeth out those which are bound with chains"(Psalm Ixviii. 6). "Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee" (Psalm Ixxix. 11). "To hear the groan- ing of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to die" (Psalm cii. 20). "Jehovah looseth the prisoners" (Psalm cxlvi. 7) It is plain that by prisoners in these places are not meant those who are imprisoned in the world, but those who are imprisoned by hell, thus by evils and falses. Similar is the signification of these words of the Lord : " I was in prison, and ye came unto me" (Matt. xxv. 36). As the Lord brings out of prison, or delivers from infestation, those who have been in good as to life, though in falses as to doctrine, he says, "Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer ;" also, "Be thou faithful, and I will give thee a crown of life." 100. " That ye may be tried," signifies, by falses fighting against them. The reason why this is signified is, because all spiritual temptation is a combat of the devil and the Lord, which shall have possession of man ; the devil or hell brings out his falses, and reproaches and condemns him, but the Lord brings out his truths, and withdraws him from falses, and delivers him. It is this combat which appears to man as in himself, because it is from evil spirits who are with him, and is called temptation. That spiritual temptation is nothing else, I know by experience, because in my temptations I have seen the infernals who brought them on, and have per- ceived the influx from the Lord, who delivered me. Chap, ii.] TUB APOCALYPSE REVEALED. 131 101. "And ye shall have tribulation ten days," signifies, that this will endure its full time, that is, as long as they are willing to abide in falses. Affliction here signifies infestation, of which above, n. 33, 95, thus temptation; and ten days sig- nify the duration of that state to the full : therefore it follows, " Be thou faithful unto death," by which is signified the re- ception and acknowledgment of truths, until by their means falses are removed, and as it were abolished. That ten days signify duration of state to the full, is, because days signify states, and ten what is full ; for times in the Word signify states, n. 947, and numbers designate their quality, n. 9. As ten signify what is full, they also signify much and many, also every thing and all, as may appear from these passages which follow : " Those men which have seen my glory, have tempted me now these ten times" (Numb. xiv. 22). " These ten times have ye reproached me" (Job xix. 3). "Daniel was found ten times wiser than the astrologers "(Dan. i. 20). "Ten women shall bake your bread in one oven"(Levit. xxvi. 26). " Ten men out of all languages of the nations, shall take hold of the skirt of him that is a Jew"(Zech. viii. 23). Because ten signify many, and also all, therefore the things which were written upon the tables of the decalogue by Jehovah, are called the Ten Commandments (Deut. iv. 13 ; x. 4) : the ten commandments signify all truths, for they include them. And because ten signify all and every thing, therefore the Lord compared the kingdom of heaven to ten virgins (Matt. xxv. 11). Likewise in the parable he said of the nobleman, that he gave his servants ten talents to trade with (Luke xix. 12, 18) . Many are also signified by the ten horns of the beast which came up out of the sea (Dan. vii. 24), and by the ten horns, and the ten crowns upon the horns, of the beast which came up out of the sea, in the Apoc. xiii. 1 ; also by the ten horns of tlie dragon (Apoc. xii. 3), and by the ten horns of the scarlet-coloured beast, upon which the woman sat (Apoc. xvii. 3, 7 3 12) : by ten horns is signified much power. From the s2 132 THE APOCALYPSE REVEALED. [Chap. ii. signification of the number ten, as denoting what is full, much, and all, it may be seen why it was ordained, that a tenth part of all the fruits of the earth should be given to Jehovah, and from Jehovah to Aaron and the Levites (Numb, xviii. 24, 28; Deut. xiv. 22) ; also, why Abram gave Melchizedeck tithes of all (Gen. xiv v 18, 19) ; for by this was signified that all they had was from Jehovah, and sanctified, see Malachi iii. 10. From these considerations, it may now appear, that by having affliction ten days, is signified that their temptation will last its full time, that is, so long as they are willing to remain in falses ; for falses are never taken away from a man against his will or consent, but with it. 102.