108. (v. 7) He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. That this signifies that he who understands should hearken to what Divine truth proceeding from the Lord teaches and says to those who belong to His church, is evident from the signification of he who hath an ear let him hear, as being that he who understands should hearken or obey (that to hear denotes to understand and to do, or to hearken, may be seen above, n. 14); from the signification of the Spirit, in this case the Spirit of God, as being Divine truth proceeding from the Lord (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia, n. 3704, 5307, 6788, 6982, 6993, 7004, 7499, 8302, 9199, 9228, 9229, 9303, 9407, 9818, 9820, 10,330); and from the signification of the churches, as denoting, those who are in truths from good, or in faith from charity, thus those who belong to the church, for no others are of the church. These words, namely, "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," are said to each of the churches (here to the church of Ephesus, and afterwards to the church of Smyrna, v. 11; to the church in Pergamos, v. 17; in Thyatira, v. 29; in Sardis, chap. iii. 6; in Philadelphia, v. 13; and in Laodicea, v. 22); because every one who belongs to the church may know that to know and understand the truths and goods of faith, or doctrinals, and also the Word, does not constitute the church, but to hearken, that is, to understand and to do, constitutes the church; for this is signified by the words, "he that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," because this constitutes the church, and forms heaven with man, but not knowing and understanding without doing; therefore the Lord also occasionally uses the same words,
"He that bath all ear to hear let him hear" (as in Matt. xi. 15; xiii. 43; Mark iv. 9, 23; vii. 16; Luke viii. 8; xiv. 35).
In the Apocalypse it is added, "What the Spirit saith unto the churches," because by this is signified what Divine truth teaches and says to those who belong to the church, or, what is the same thing, what the Lord teaches and says, for all Divine truth proceeds from Him (see the work, Heaven and Hell, n. 13, 133, 137, 139); therefore also the Lord himself did not use the words, "What the Spirit saith," because He Himself was the Divine truth that said it.
That to know and understand Divine truths does not constitute the church and form heaven with man, but to know, to understand and to do, the Lord teaches plainly in very many passages; as in Matthew,
"Whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, and every one that heareth, and doeth not, shall be likened unto a foolish man" (vii. 24, 26).
Again:
"He that received seed into the good ground, is he that heareth the Word, and understandeth it, which also beareth fruit " (xiii. 23).
And in Luke:
"Whosoever cometh to me and heareth my sayings, and doeth them, I will show you to whom he is like. He is like a man which built a house, and laid the foundation oil a rock. But he that heareth and doeth not, is like a man that without a foundation built a house upon the earth" (vi. 47, 48, 49).
In the same:
"My mother and my brethren are those who hear the Word of God and do it" (viii. 21);
besides in many other passages. In these passages, to hear simply signifies to hear, which is to know and to understand to hear also, in common discourse, has this signification when a man is said to hear anything; but it signifies both to understand and to do, when he is said to give ear, or to be attentive; so also when he is said to hearken. Moreover, those who separate life from faith, are like those of whom the Lord speaks in Matthew:
"Seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand" (xiii. 13, 14, 15; Ezek. xii. 2).
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