Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 1074

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

1074. And those that are with him, are called, and chosen, and faithful. That this signifies that those who are in love to the Lord, in love towards the neighbour, and in the faith of charity, are in the truth concerning the Lord's Divine power, and concerning the Divine sanctity of the Word; this is evident from the signification of being called, when by the Lord, as denoting those who are in love to the Lord; and from the signification of chosen, as denoting those who are in love towards the neighbour; and from the signification of faithful, as denoting those who are in the faith of charity. That these are meant by the called, chosen, and faithful, is evident from the Word, where the called, chosen, and faithful are mentioned: and from this, that the angels of the third heaven, who are in love to the Lord, are named "the called"; the angels of the second heaven, who are in love towards the neighbour, are named "the chosen," and the angels of the first heaven, who are in the faith of charity, are named "the faithful."

Now because in the Lord's church on earth there are those who are of the third, of the second, and of the first heaven, and who therefore, after death, become angels of those heavens, therefore it is, that by the called, the chosen, and the faithful are meant all those in the kingdoms under the dominion of the Pope who attribute to the Lord the power of saving men, and to the Word alone Divine sanctity and inspiration; and in these two essentials withdraw from the vicarious authority of the Pope.

Continuation concerning the Word:-

[2] Because the Divine truth, in passing from the Lord Himself through the three heavens even to men in the world, is written, and becomes the Word, in every heaven, therefore the Word is the union of the heavens with one another, and the union of the heavens with the church in the world. For the Word is the same everywhere, differing only in perfection of glory and wisdom according to the degrees in which the heavens are. Hence it is, that something holy and Divine from the Lord through the heavens flows in with the man in the world who acknowledges the Lord's Divine and the sanctity of the Word when he reads it; and that such a man can be instructed and receive wisdom from the Word as from the Lord Himself, or from heaven itself, so far as he loves it, and thus be nourished with the same food as the angels, and in which there is life, according to these words of the Lord:

"The words that I speak unto you, are spirit and life" (John vi. 63).

"The water which I will give you, shall become a fountain of water, springing up unto life eternal" (John iv. 14).

"Man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God" (Matt. iv. 4).

"Labour for the meat which endureth unto life eternal, which the Son of man will give unto you" (John vi. 27).

Such is the Word.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church