AE 734 - The Causes of War and Military Service

AE 734 [1, 14]

And there was war in heaven
(Revelation 12:7)

means the combat of falsity against truth
and of truth against falsity.

All those are in the falsities of evil
who in their life
have given no thought to heaven and the Lord,
but have thought only of self and the world.
To think of heaven and the Lord in the life
is to think that this or that must be done
because the Word so teaches and commands;
those who do this,
since they live from the Word,
live from the Lord and heaven.
But to think only of self and the world
is to think that this or that must be done
because of the laws of the country,
and for the sake of reputation, honor and gain;
such do not live for the Lord and heaven,
but for self and the world.
These in respect to life are in evil,
and from evil in falsities;
and those who are in falsities from this origin
fight against truths.

That "war" signifies spiritual war,
which is against things infernal,
is clearly evident from this,
that the offices and ministries of the Levites
about the Tent of meeting were called "military service,"
as is evident from these words of Moses:
It was commanded Moses
that the Levites should be numbered
from a son of thirty years to a son of fifty years,
to do military service,
to do the work in the Tent of meeting
(Numbers 4:23, 35, 39, 43, 47).
And elsewhere:

This is the office of the Levites;
from a son of twenty-five years and upward
he shall come to do military service
in the ministry of the Tent of meeting,
but from a son of fifty years
he shall cease from the military service of the ministry
and shall minister no more.
(Numbers 8:24, 25)

The works and ministries
of the Levites about the Tent of meeting
are called "military service"
because the Levites represented the truths of the church,
and Aaron, to whom the Levites were given
and assigned for service,
represented the Lord in relation to the good of love
and in reference to the work of salvation,
and as the Lord from the good of love
by means of truths from the Word
regenerates and saves men,
and also removes the evils and falsities
that are from hell,
against which He continually fights,
therefore the functions and ministries of the Levites
were called "military service."
The same is evident from this also,
that their ministries were called "military service"
although the Levites did not war
against the enemies of the land.
This shows that the priesthood is a military service,
but against falsities and evils.
For the same reason the church at this day
is called the church militant.