70. Since the Lord Only is acknowledged as the God of heaven and earth by those who are of His New Church (e Nova Ipsius Ecclesia) in the heavens, and by those who will be of it on earth (in terris), therefore in the First Chapter the Apocalypse treats of the Only Lord, and in these two chapters following it is He Only Who speaks to the Churches, and He Only Who will give the fortunate things of eternal life. That it is He Only Who speaks to the Churches is plain from these passages:-
To the Angel of the Ephesian Church write, These things says He Who holds the seven stars in His right hand, Who walks in the midst of the seven golden lampstands Rev. ii 1.
To the Angel of the Church of the Smyrnaeans write, These things says the First and the Last Rev. ii 8.
To the Angel of the Church that is in Pergamum write, These things says He Who has the sharp two-edged sword Rev. ii 12.
To the Angel of the Church in Thyatira write, These things says the Son of God, Who has eyes as a flame of fire, and feet like burnished bronze Rev. ii 18.
To the Angel of the Church that is in Sardis write, These things says He Who has the seven spirits of God and the seven stars Rev. iii 1.
To the Angel of the Church that is in Philadelphia write, These things says the Holy True One Who has the key of David Rev. iii 7.
And to the angel of the Church in Laodicea write, These things says the Amen, the faithful and true Witness, the Beginning of the creation of God Rev. iii 14.
These are selected from the First Chapter, in which it treats of the Only Lord, and He Himself is described there by all those things.
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