102. Be thou faithful unto death, signifies reception and acknowledgment of truths, until falsities are removed, and as it were abolished. By "be thou faithful unto death," in the natural sense, is meant, that they must not depart from fidelity even to the end of life; but in the spiritual sense, that they must receive and acknowledge truths, even until falsities are removed by them, and as it were abolished; for this sense is properly for those who are in the spiritual world, for whom there is no death. Therefore by "death" is here meant the end of their temptation. It is said, until they are, as it were, abolished, because falsities and evils with man are not abolished, but removed, and when they are removed they appear as if they were abolished, because when evils and falsities are removed, man is kept in goods and truths by the Lord.