951. Verse 14. Happy are they that do His commandments, that their power may be in the tree of life, and they may enter in through the gates into the city, signifies that they have eternal felicity who live according to the Lord's commandments, to the end that they may be in the Lord and the Lord in them by love, and in His New Church by knowledges concerning Him. By "happy" are signified they who have the felicity of eternal life (n. 639, 852, 944). By "doing His commandments," is signified to live according to the Lord's precepts; "that their power may be in the tree of life," signifies to the end that they may be in the Lord and the Lord in them by love, that is, for the Lord's sake, as will be shown presently; by "entering through the gates into the city" is signified that they may be in the Lord's New Church through knowledges concerning Him. By "the gates" of the wall of the New Jerusalem are signified the knowledges of good and truth from the Word (n. 899, 900, 922). And because "each gate was one pearl," principally by "gates" are signified knowledges concerning the Lord (n. 916), and by "the city," or Jerusalem, is signified the New Church with its doctrine (n. 879-880). [2] That by "their power is 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 Lord's sake, is because by "the tree of life" is signified the Lord as to the Divine love (n. 89, 933); and by "power in that tree" is signified power from the Lord, because they are in the Lord and the Lord in them; the same is signified here as by "reigning with the Lord" (n. 284, 849). That they who are in the Lord and the Lord in them are in all power, insomuch that whatsoever they will, they can do, the Lord Himself says in John:
He that abideth in Me and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit; for without Me ye can do nothing; if ye abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:5, 7). In like manner concerning power (Matt. 7:7; Mark 11:24; Luke 11:9-10); yea, in Matthew:
Jesus said, If ye have faith, ye shall say to this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; it shall be done. And all things whatsoever ye shall ask believing, ye shall receive (Matt. 21:21-22). By these words is described the power of those who are in the Lord; these do not will anything, and so do not ask anything, but from the Lord, and whatsoever they will and ask from the Lord, the same is done, for the Lord says, "Without Me ye can do nothing, abide in Me and I in you"; such power have the angels in heaven, that if they only will a thing, they obtain it; but yet they do not will anything but what is of use, and this they will as if from themselves, but still from the Lord.
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