AR 744 [1-2]
"And those who are with Him
are called, chosen, and faithful."
(Revelation 17:14)
Those who are with Him
symbolize people who turn to the Lord,
for they are the people with Him.
Those who are called, chosen, and faithful
symbolize people who are concerned with
the external, internal and inmost
elements of the church,
who, being in the Lord, go to heaven.
The called, indeed, mean all
people,
because all have been called,
but the called who are with the Lord
mean people who are in heaven with the Lord,
as all those are called who are present
at the wedding with the bridegroom.
The chosen do not mean
that some are chosen by predestination,
but people who are with the Lord are so called.
The faithful mean people who have faith in the Lord.
These
are people who are concerned with
the external, internal, and inmost
elements of the church,
because the Lord's church is, like heaven,
distinguished into three degrees.
In the lowest degree
are people concerned with its external elements;
in the second degree
are people concerned with its internal ones;
and in the third degree
are people concerned with its inmost ones.
People with the Lord who are concerned
with the external elements of the church
are said to be called.
Those who are concerned with its internal elements
are said to be chosen.
And those who are concerned with
its inmost elements are said to be faithful.
For that is how they are termed in the Word,
in which Jacob is said to be called,
and Israel chosen,
since Jacob there means people concerned with
the external elements of the church,
and Israel people concerned with its internal ones.
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