951. [verse 14] 'Blessed are those doing His commandments, that their authority may be in the tree of life, and they may enter in by the gates into the city' signifies that they have eternal happiness who live in accordance with the Lord's precepts to the end that they may be in the Lord and the Lord in them by means of love, and that they may be in His New Church by means of cognitions concerning Him. By the 'blessed' are signified those who have the happiness of eternal life (n. 639, 852, 944). By 'to do His commandments' is signified to live in accordance with the Lord's precepts. 'That their authority may be in the tree of life' signifies to the end that they may be in the Lord and the Lord in them by means of love, that is, for the sake of the Lord, concerning which [something] follows. By 'to enter in by the gates into the city' is signified that they may be in the Lord's New Church by means of cognitions concerning Him. By 'the gates' of the wall of the New Jerusalem are signified cognitions of good and truth derived from the Word (n. 899, 900, 922), and because 'each gate was one pearl' the gates principally signify cognitions concerning the Lord (n. 916); and by 'the city', or Jerusalem, is signified the New Church with its doctrine (n. 879, 880). [2] The reason why by 'that their authority may be in the tree of life' is signified to the end that they may be in the Lord and the Lord in them, or for the sake of the Lord, is because by 'the tree of life' is signified the Lord as to Divine Love (n. 89, 933), and by 'authority in that tree' is signified authority from the Lord because they are in the Lord and the Lord in them. By these words something similar is signified as by [the statement] that they are going to reign with the Lord (n. 284, 849). That those who are in the Lord and the Lord in them have all authority, to the extent that whatever they will they are able to do, the Lord Himself says in John:-
He who abides in Me and I in him, this one bears much fruit, because without Me you cannot do anything: if you abide in Me and My words abide in you, ask whatever you will, even so shall it be done unto you John xv 5, 7.
In like manner concerning authority (Matt. vii 7; Mark xi 24; Luke xi 9, 10); indeed in Matthew:-
Jesus said, If you were to have faith, if you say to this mountain, Rise up, cast thyself into the sea, it shall be done; indeed all the things that you ask believing, you shall get Matt. xxi 21, 22.
By these words is described the authority of those who are in the Lord. They do not will anything, and so do not seek anything, except from the Lord, and whatever they will and ask from the Lord, the same is done, for the Lord says, 'Without Me you cannot do anything, abide in Me and I in you.' The angels in heaven have such authority that if only they will a thing they obtain it; but yet they do not will anything but what is of use, and they will this as from themselves, but still from the Lord.
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