** The Churches of Sardis, Philadlphia, Laodicea **

And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write . . .
And unto the angel of the church in Philadelphia write . . .
And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write . . .(Revelation 3:1, 7, 14)

AR 154 - The Spiritual Sense of the Whole Chapter

People in the Christian world 
who are engaged in a lifeless worship, 
one without charity and faith, 
are described by the church in Sardis.
People who are governed by truths 
springing from goodness derived from the Lord 
are described by the church in Philadelphia.
People who base their beliefs 
sometimes on their own thinking, 
sometimes on the Word, 
and so profane holy things, 
are described by the church in Laodicea.
All of these, too, are called to the Lord's New Church.

AC 6645 - The Church Within a Person

AC 6645 [2]

The case with the church in a person 
is that it successively undergoes new states; 
for as a person is strengthened 
in the truth of faith and the good of charity, 
so he is introduced into other states, 
the former state then serving as a plane 
for the following state, and so on continually. 
Thus the person who is a church, 
or who is being regenerated, 
is continually led toward more interior things, 
thus more interiorly into heaven. 
That it is so done 
is because the Lord from love, 
which is infinite because Divine, 
wills to draw man even to Himself, 
and so to bless him with all glory and happiness, 
as also is very evident from the Lord's words in John:

I pray that they all may be one, 
as Thou Father art in Me, and I in Thee, 
that they also may be one in Us. 
The glory which Thou hast given Me 
I have given them, 
that they may be one even as We are one; 
I in them and Thou in Me. 
Father, I will that they whom Thou hast given Me 
be also with Me where I am; 
that they may see My glory 
which Thou hast given Me; 
for I have made known unto them Thy name, 
and I will make it known; 
that the love wherewith Thou hast loved Me 
may be in them, 
and I in them. 
(John 17:21-24, 26)

~ He Offered Them Bread and Wine ~

While they were eating,
Jesus took bread,
gave thanks and broke it,
and gave it to His disciples, saying,
"Take and eat; this is My body."

Then He took the cup,
gave thanks and offered it to them, saying,
"Drink from it, all of you.
This is My blood of the new covenant,
which is poured out for many
for the forgiveness of sins.
I tell you,
I will not drink of this fruit of the vine
from now on until that day
when I drink it anew with you
in My Father's kingdom."

When they had sung a hymn,
they went out to the Mount of Olives.

(Matthew 26-30)

** "He Who Has An Ear" **

He who has an ear, 
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. 
'To him who overcomes 
I will give to eat from the tree of life, 
which is in the midst of the Paradise of God.'
(Revelation 2:7)

AR 68:7

"He who has an ear, 
let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches,"

signifies anyone who understands these things, 
ought to obey what the Divine truth of the Word teaches

those who will be of the New Church,

which is the New Jerusalem

"To him that overcomes"
signifies he who fights against evils and falsities, 
and is reformed. 
"Will I give to eat of the tree of life," 
signifies appropriation of the good of love and charity 
from the Lord.
"Which is in the midst of the paradise of God," 
signifies interiorly in the truths of wisdom and faith.

AC 6598 - Thinking Above the Sensual; AC 6617, 6619 - Countless Ideas

AC 6598

It is known that one man excels another 
in the capacity to understand and perceive 
what is honorable in moral life,
what is just in civil life, 
and what is good in spiritual life. 
The cause of this 
consists in the elevation of the thought 
to the things that pertain to heaven, 
whereby the thought is withdrawn 
from the external things of sense; 
for those who think solely from things of sense 
cannot see one whit 
of what is honorable, just, and good,
and therefore they trust to others 
and speak much from the memory, 
and thereby appear to themselves wiser than others. 
But those who are able to think 
above the things of sense, 
provided the things in the memory have been set in order, 
possess a greater capacity than others 
to understand and perceive,
and this according to the degree in which 
they view things from what is interior.

AC 6617

That there are countless things in one idea, 
has also been made evident to me from the fact 
that the angels perceive in a moment 
the life of a spirit and of a man 
by merely hearing him speak, 
or by looking into his thought; 
the angels of a lower heaven can see this, 
and still more the angels of a higher one.
A certain good spirit was taken up into the first heaven, 
and speaking with me from there he said 
that he saw infinite things 
in what I was then reading in the Word; 
when yet I myself 
had only a simple thought on the subject. 
Afterward he was taken up into a more interior heaven, 
and he said from there that he now saw still more things, 
and so many that what he had seen before 
were comparatively gross to him. 
He was next taken up into a heaven still more interior, 
where the celestial angels are, 
and he said from there 
that what he had before seen was scarcely anything 
compared with the things he now saw. 

AC 6619

That there are countless things in the ideas of thought, 
and that those which are in order within them 
are there from things more interior, 
was also evident to me 
while I read the Lord's Prayer morning and evening. 
The ideas of my thought 
were then always opened toward heaven, 
and countless things flowed in, 
so that I observed clearly 
that the ideas of thought taken 
from the contents of the Prayer 
were filled from heaven. 
And such things were also poured in 
as cannot be uttered, 
and also could not be comprehended by me; 
I merely felt the general resulting affection, 
and wonderful to say 
the things that flowed in were varied from day to day. 
From this I was given to know 
that in the contents of this Prayer 
there are more things 
than the universal heaven 
is capable of comprehending; 
and that with man 
there are more things in it 
in proportion as his thought 
has been opened toward heaven; 
and on the other hand, 
there are fewer things in it 
in proportion as his thought has been closed; 
for with those whose thought has been closed, 
nothing more appears therein 
than the sense of the letter, 
or that sense which is nearest the words.

~ "Woe to You" ~

"Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees,
you hypocrites!
You travel over land and sea to win a single convert,
and when he becomes one,
you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

. . . "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees,
you hypocrites!

You give a tenth of your spices --
mint, dill and cummin.
But you have neglected 
the more important matters of the law -- 
justice, mercy and faithfulness.
You should have practiced the latter,
without neglecting the former.
You blind guides!
You strain out a gnat
but swallow a camel."

(Matthew 23:15, 23-24)

** The Seven Stars, the Seven Lampstands **

"The mystery of the seven stars 
which you saw in My right hand, 
and the seven golden lampstands."
(Revelation 1:20)

The secrets contained in the visions 
having to do with a new heaven and a new church.

"The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches,
signifies a new church in the heavens, 
which is the New Heaven.

"And the seven lampstands which you saw 
are the seven churches."

signifies the New Church on earth, 
which is the New Jerusalem 
descending from the Lord out of the New Heaven.

(from the exposition of Revelation Chapter 1, 
Apocalypse Revealed)

AC 6587, 6592 - The Internal and External of the Church

AC 6587 [2-3]

A church in order to exist must be internal and external, 
for there are those who are in the internal of the church, 
and those who are in its external; 
the former are few, 
but the latter are very numerous. 
Nevertheless with those with whom is the internal church, 
the external must be also, 
for the internal of the church 
cannot be separated from its external; 
and also with those with whom is the external church, 
the internal must be also, 
but with these the internal is in obscurity.

The internal of the church consists 
in willing good from the heart, 
and in being affected with good; 
and its external consists in doing it, 
and this according to the truth of faith 
which the man knows from good; 
but the external of the church consists 
in the devout performance of rituals, 
and in doing works of charity, 
according to the precepts of the church. 
From this it is evident that the internal of the church 
is the good of charity in the will. 
Therefore when this ceases, 
the church itself also ceases, 
for the good of charity is its essential. 
External worship indeed remains afterward, as before, 
but then it is not worship, but a rite, 
which is preserved because it has been so appointed; 
but this rite, which appears like worship, 
is like a shell without a kernel, 
for it is an external which remains wherein is no internal. 
When such is the state of the church it is at its end.

AC 6592

. . . the quality of the church 
when it is only in externals without internals, 
namely, that it is like 
the bony structure of a man without flesh. 

~ What Good Will It Be? ~

Then Jesus said to His disciples,
"If anyone would come after Me,
he must deny himself,
and take up his cross,
and follow Me.
For whoever wants to save his life 
will lose it,
but whoever loses his life for Me
will find it.
What good will it be for a man
if he gains the whole world,
yet forfeits his soul?
Or what can a man give in exchange for his soul?
For the Son of Man is going to come
in His Father's glory with His angels,
and then He will reward each person
according to what he has done.

(Matthew 16:24-27)

AC 6567 - When the Natural Is Subdued

AC 6567

. . . the spiritual church 
cannot possibly be instituted with anyone, 
unless the things that belong 
to the natural or external man 
have been made submissive 
to the spiritual or internal man. 
So long as the mere truth which is of faith 
predominates with a man, 
and not the good which is of charity, 
so long the natural or external man 
has not been made submissive 
to the spiritual or internal man. 
But as soon as good has the dominion, 
the natural or external man submits himself, 
and then the man becomes a spiritual church. 
That such is the case is known from the fact 
that the man does from affection 
what the truth teaches, 
and that he does not act contrary to this affection, 
however the natural desires it. 
The very affection and consequent reason 
have the dominion, 
and subdue in the natural 
the delights of the love of self and of the world, 
as also the fallacies 
which had filled the memory-knowledges there; 
and at last so completely 
that this subjugation 
comes to be among the man's pleasures;
and then the natural is at rest, 
and afterward is in agreement; 
and when it is in agreement, 
it then partakes of the pleasantness of the internal.

~ The Edge of His Cloak ~

When they had crossed over,
they landed at Gennesaret.
And when the men of that place recognized Jesus,
they sent word to all the surrounding country.
People brought all their sick Him,
and begged Him to let the sick
just touch the edge of His cloak,
and all who touched Him were healed.

(Matthew 14:34-36)

AC 6507 - Changes

AC 6507

For when the truth of the spiritual church 
becomes good,
a revolution takes place, 
and the man no longer looks at truths from truths, 
but from good, 
which revolution has already 
been described several times. 
From this comes the sadness, 
and it also comes from the fact 
that a different order is effected 
among the memory-knowledges, 
which is not effected without pain.

~ Jesus Speaks ~

There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed,
or hidden that will not be made known.
what I tell you in the dark,
speak in the daylight;
what is whispered in your ear,
proclaim from the roofs.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body,
but cannot kill the soul.
Rather, be afraid of the One 
who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny?
Yet not one of them will fall to the ground
apart from the will of your Father.
And even the very hairs of your head are numbered.
So don't be afraid;
you are worth more than many sparrows.

Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables;
He did not say anything to them 
without using a parable.
So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet:

"I will open My mouth in parables,
I will utter things hidden 
since the creation of the world."

(Matthew 10:26-31; 13:34-35)

AC 6481 - Opulence and Eminence

AC 6481

. . . the Divine Providence has for its end 
the eternal salvation of man, 
thus not his good fortune in this world, 
namely, his opulence and eminence, 
wherein most persons during the life of the body 
make happiness itself consist; 
when yet the fact is not so, 
for eminence usually begets the love of self, 
and opulence the love of the world, 
thus what is contrary 

to love to God and to charity toward the neighbor. 
Therefore such things are given to the evil, 
and also to the good 
if they are not unsuitable 
and do not withdraw them from heaven. 
Moreover the Lord provides for His ends 
through the evil equally as through the good; 
for the Lord moves the evil through their very loves 
to do what is good to the neighbor, 
to their country, and the church; 
for the evil desire to be in eminence, 
they desire their own advantage, 
and for the sake of these things 
they desire to seem upright and zealous, 
and from this desire, as from a fire, 
they are more strongly moved to do such things 
than are the well-disposed. 

~ Do Not Resist an Evil Person ~ and AE 556 [8-10], AC 8823 [2-3], AC 9049 [5]

You have heard that it has been said, 

An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth;
but I tell you,
Do not resist an evil person.
If someone strikes you on the right cheek,
turn to him the other also.
And if someone wants to sue you
and take your tunic,
let him have your cloak as well.
If someone forces you to go one mile,
go with him two miles.
Give to the one who asks you,
and do not turn away from the one
who wants to borrow from you.

(Matthew 5:38-42)
___________

AE 556 [8-9]

That these words
are not to be understood according to the letter
is evident to everyone;
for who is bound by Christian love
to turn the left cheek to him who smites the right,
or to give the cloak (tunic) to him
who would take away the coat?
In a word,
who is there to whom it is not allowable to resist evil?
But as all things that the Lord said
were in themselves Divine-celestial,
it can be seen that these words,
as well as the others which the Lord spoke,
contain a heavenly sense.

The sons of Israel had this law that they should give
"an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth"
(Exod. 21:23, 24; Lev. 24:20; Deut. 19:21),
because they were external men,
and thus were only
in the representatives of heavenly things,
and not in heavenly things themselves,
so not in charity, in mercy, in patience,
nor in any spiritual good;
consequently they were under the law of retaliation;
for the heavenly law
and from that the Christian law
is that which the Lord taught in the Gospels:

All things whatsoever you would
that men should do to you,
do you even so to them;
this is the Law and the Prophets
(Matthew 7:12; Luke 6:31).

Because this is the law in heaven,
and from heaven in the church,
therefore every evil carries with it
a corresponding punishment,
which is called the punishment of evil,
and is in the evil as if joined with it;
and from this springs the punishment of retaliation
which was prescribed for the sons of Israel,
because they were external and not internal men.

Internal men, as the angels of heaven are,
do not wish the retaliation of evil for evil,
but from heavenly charity they forgive freely;
for they know that the Lord
protects from the evil
all who are in good,
and that He protects according to the good with them,
and that He would not protect
if on account of the evil done to them
they should burn with enmity, hatred, and revenge,
for these drive away protection.

These things, therefore, are involved
in what the Lord here said . . .
"An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth,"
signifies that so far as anyone
takes away from another
the understanding of truth and the sense of truth,
so far are they taken away from him,
the "eye" signifying the understanding of truth,
and "tooth" the sense of truth,
for a "tooth" means truth or falsity
such as the sensual man has.
That one who is in Christian good
will permit an evil person to take these away
as far as he can,
is described by what the Lord says in reply
on the same subject.
"Resist not him that is in evil"
signifies that there should be
no fighting back of retaliation;
for angels do not fight with the evil,
much less do they return evil for evil,
but they allow it to be done,
since they are protected by the Lord,
and therefore no evil from hell can do them harm.
"Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek
turn to him the other also"
signifies if anyone wishes to do harm
to the perception and understanding of interior truth,
it may be allowed to the extent of the effort;
"the cheek" signifies the perception
and understanding of interior truth,
the "right cheek" affection for it
and consequent perception of it,
and the "left cheek" understanding of it,
and as the "cheek" is mentioned,
so is "smiting," which means doing harm to;
for all things pertaining to the mouth, as the throat,
the mouth itself, the lips, the cheeks, the teeth,
signify such things as belong to
the perception and understanding of truth,
because they correspond to them,
therefore by these objects
in the sense of the letter of the Word,
which consists of pure correspondences,
these things are expressed;
"if any man wishes to sue you at the law
and to take away your coat,
let him have your cloak also,"
signifies if anyone wishes
to take away truth interiorly with you,
it may be allowed him to take away also exterior truth,
"coat" signifying interior truth,
and "cloak" exterior truth.
This also is what angels do when they are with the evil,
for the evil can take away nothing
of good and truth from angels,
but they can from those
who on that account
burn with enmity, hatred, and revenge,
for these evils avert and repel protection by the Lord;
"whosoever shall compel you to go one mile,
go with him two,"
signifies whoever wishes
to lead away from truth to falsity
and from good to evil,
since he cannot do it,
may be left unopposed,
a "mile" having a similar signification as a "way,"
namely, that which leads away or leads;
"give to everyone that asks you"
signifies that it is to be permitted;
"and from him that wishes to borrow of you
turn you not away"
signifies that if anyone wishes to be instructed
he may be instructed,
for the evil desire this
that they may pervert and take away,
and yet they cannot.
This is the spiritual sense of these words,
in which are stored up the hidden things
that have now been said,
which are especially for the angels;
who perceive the Word only according to its spiritual sense;
they are also for men in the world who are in good,
when the evil are trying to lead them astray.

AC 8823 [2-3]

But the case with this law in the other life
is further as follows.
When the like, or retaliation, is evil,
it is inflicted by the evil,
and never by the good;
that is, it comes from the hells,
and never from the heavens.
For the hells, or the evil who are there,
are in the continual cupidity of doing evil to others,
for this is the very delight of their life;
and therefore as soon as it is permitted,
they do evil,
caring not to whom,
whether he is evil or good,
whether he is a companion or an enemy;
and as it is from a law of order
that evil returns upon those who intend evil,
consequently, when it is permitted by the law,
they rush on them.
This is done by the evil who are in the hells,
never by the good who are in the heavens,
for these latter are in the continual desire
of doing good to others,
because this is the delight of their life;
and therefore as soon as there is an opportunity,
they do good both to foes and to friends;
indeed, they do not resist evil,
for the laws of order defend and protect
what is good and true.
So it is that the Lord says,

"You have heard that it has been said,
An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth;
but I say to you that evil must not be resisted.
You have heard that it has been said,
Thou shalt love thy neighbor, and hate thine enemy;
but I say to you,
Love your enemies,
bless them that curse you,
impart benefits to them that hate you;
that you may be sons of your Father in the heavens."
(Matt. 5:38, 39, 43-45)
 
It frequently happens in the other life
that when evil spirits wish to inflict evil on the good,
they are grievously punished,
and that the evil which they intend to others
returns upon themselves.
At the time this appears
as if it were revenge from the good;
but it is not revenge,
neither is it from the good, but from the evil,
to whom an opportunity is then given
from the law of order.
Indeed, the good do not wish evil to them,
but still they cannot take away the evil of punishment,
because they are then kept in the intention of good --
just like a judge
when he sees a malefactor being punished,
or like a father
when he sees his son punished by his master.
The evil who punish do it from the cupidity of doing evil;
but the good from the affection of doing good.
From all this it can be seen
what is meant by the Lord's words
concerning love for an enemy,
in Matthew, as above;
and concerning the law of retaliation,
which was not abrogated by the Lord, but explained;
namely, that they who are in heavenly love
ought not to have delight in retaliation or revenge,
but in imparting benefits;
and that the very law of order,
which protects what is good,
performs it from itself,
through the evil ones.

AC 9049 [5]

Who cannot see that these words
are not to be understood
according to the sense of the letter?
For who will turn the left cheek
to him who deals a blow on the right cheek?
And who will give his cloak to him
who would take away his coat?
And who will give his property to all who ask?
And who will not resist evil?
But no one can understand these words
who does not know what is signified by
"the right cheek" and "the left cheek,"
what by "a coat" and "a cloak,"
also what by "a mile,"
and likewise by "borrowing," and so on.
The subject there treated of is spiritual life,
or the life of faith;
not natural life, which is the life of the world.
The Lord there opens,
and also in this chapter, and the following,
the interior things that belong to heaven,
but by means of such things as are in the world.
The reason why He did so by such things,
was that not worldly men,
but only heavenly men,
should understand.
The reason why worldly men were not to understand,
was lest they should profane
the interior things of the Word,
for by so doing
they would cast themselves
into the most frightful hell of all,
which is the hell of the profaners of the Word.

AC 6467 - Every Life; AC - The Lord's Prayer

AC 6467

. . . every one has life in accordance
with the form of the interiors which he has acquired 
by willing and acting, thinking and speaking.

AC 6476

Whenever I have been reading the Lord's prayer, 
I have plainly perceived an elevation toward the Lord 
which was like an attraction, 
and at the same time my ideas were open, 
and from this there was effected a communication 
with some societies in heaven; 
and I noticed that there was an influx from the Lord 
into every detail of the prayer,

thus into every idea of my thought 
that was from the meaning of the things in the prayer. 
The influx was effected with inexpressible variety, 
that is, not the same at one time as another; 
this also made it evident how infinite 
are the things contained in the prayer, 
and that the Lord is present in every one of them.

~ Generations ~

A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ
the son of David, the son of Abraham . . .


Thus there were fourteen generations in all
from Abraham to David,
fourteen from David to the exile in Babylon,
and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.

(Matthew 1:1, 17)

AC 6435 - Mountains and Hills

AC 6435 [4]

In very many passages of the prophetic Word 
mention is made of "mountains and hills," 
and by them in the internal sense 
are signified the goods of love --
by "mountains" the good of love to the Lord, 
which is the internal of the celestial kingdom; 
and by "hills" the good of mutual love, 
which is the external of the same kingdom; 
but where the spiritual kingdom is treated of, 
then by "mountains" 
is signified the good of charity toward the neighbor, 
which is the internal of this kingdom, 
and by "hills" the truth of faith, which is its external. 
Be it known that every church of the Lord 
is internal and external, 
and so is each of His kingdoms.

~ Revere My Name ~

But for you who revere My name,
the sun of righteousness will rise
with healing in its wings.

(Malachi 4:2)

AC 6414 - Gladness of Mind; AC 6422 - Hostility

AC 6414

Giving discourses of elegance. 
(Genesis 49:21)

. . . the signification of "discourses of elegance," 
as being gladness of mind; 
for all discourse proceeds from the mind, 
and when the mind is glad and cheerful, 
it speaks with elegance. 
( . . . after temptations come gladness and delight . . ..)

AC 6422

. . . he who holds any one in hatred
persecutes him with all hostility
so far as he is able . . ..

. . . those who are in falsities 
persecute the man of the spiritual church 
with all hostility.