Apocalypse Revealed (Coulsons) n. 867

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867. 'And the books were opened, and another book was of the mind of all of them were laid open, and by means opened which is of life' signifies that the interior things of the influx of light and heat out of heaven it was seen and perceived what they were like as to the affections that are of the love or of the will, and consequently as to the thoughts that are of faith or of the understanding, the evil as well as the good. By 'the books' are not understood books but the interior things of the mind of those who are being judged, by the books' the interior things of the mind of those who are evil and are being judged to death, and by 'the book of life' those who are good and are judged to life. They are termed 'books' because in the interior things of the mind of every one have been inscribed all the things that each one has thought, intended, spoken and done out of the will or love, and consequently out of the understanding or faith. All these things are inscribed on the life of every one with so much exactness that nothing at all is missing. These things appear as to their qualities with lifelike reality when the spiritual light that is wisdom from the Lord and the spiritual heat that is love from the Lord inflow through heaven. The spiritual light discloses the thoughts that are of the understanding and faith, and the spiritual heat discloses the affections that are of the will and love; while the spiritual light and spiritual heat together disclose the intentions and endeavours. 'That this is the case, I do not say that a rational man can see out of the light of his own understanding; but he can see if he will, provided he is willing to understand that there exists a spiritual light that illumines the understanding and a spiritual heat that enkindles the will.


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