AE 128 - To Overcome

AE 128

. . . "to overcome" is to resist evils and falsities, 
and to tame and subdue them as one's enemies. 
But no one overcomes unless he is steadfast 
in the spiritual affection of truth, 
even to the end of his life in the world; 
then the work is finished; 
for a person remains to eternity such as he then is, 
namely, such as his life has been up to that point; 
death is what completes it. 
But no one is able to overcome 
except the Lord only. 
The person who supposes 
that he overcomes of himself, 
and not that it is the Lord with him that overcomes, 
does not overcome but succumbs; 
for it is spiritual faith that overcomes, 
and there is nothing of spiritual faith from a person, 
but the whole of it is from the Lord.

 

AE 125 - Be Faithful Until Death

AE 125

Be thou faithful even till death, 
(Revelation 2:10)

signifies steadfastness in truths to the end. 
This is evident without explanation. 
It is said "even till death," 
because such as a person is when he dies, 
such he remains to eternity; 
the life previously lived 
is only the life for the formation of his spirit.

AE 122 - Dominant Love and Devotional Reading

AE 122 [6]

. . . the love that is dominant 
turns the mind of him who reads 
to those things only that favor the love; 
for love is like a fire, 
which lights up the things that favor it, 
while the rest are either passed by as if not seen, 
or drawn over to one's side 
by perverse explanation and thus falsified.

 

AE 121 - "Fear Not"

AE 121

Fear not the things which you are to suffer, 
signifies that they should not grieve 
because such men persecute them. 
(Revelation 2:10)

This is evident from the signification of "fear not," 
as being, in reference to those 
about to suffer persecutions, 
that they should not grieve in mind; 
for fear with these is also grief; 
and from the signification of 
"the things which thou art to suffer," 
namely, from those 
who are in the doctrine of all falsities, 
as being that such are about to persecute. 

AE 118 - "Judah"

AE 118 [1, 2]

. . . for "Judah," in the highest sense of the Word, 
signifies the Lord in respect to celestial love, 
in the internal sense 
the Lord's celestial kingdom and the Word, 
and in the external sense doctrine from the Word, 
which is of the celestial church.

And as with them a church was instituted
in which all things were representative
and significative of things heavenly,
so by their names was signified
that which essentially makes the church,
namely, in the highest sense, the Lord Himself;
in the internal sense His Word;
and in the external sense doctrine from the Word.
From this it is clear
how greatly those are mistaken who believe,
according to the letter,
that the Jews are to be brought back
into the land of Canaan,
and that they have been chosen
and destined for heaven in preference to others;
. . . but that nation
has altogether rejected Him from its faith.


 

AE 118 - The Lord Loves to Share His Good and Truth

AE 118 [2]

The spiritual affection of truth 
has no other source than the Lord, 
because the Lord is 
Divine truth in heaven and in the church, 
for Divine truth proceeds from Him. 
And as the Lord loves 
to lead everyone to Himself, 
and to save them, 
and this He can do only by 
the knowledges of good and truth from the Word, 
so the Lord loves to impart these to people, 
and make them of the person's life, 
for in this way and no other 
can He lead a person to Himself and save him. 
From this it is clear 
that all spiritual affection of truth is from the Lord, 
and that no one can be in that affection 
unless he acknowledges 
the Divine of the Lord in His Human, 
for by such acknowledgment there is conjunction, 
and according to conjunction there is reception.

 

AE 117 - When We Don't Understand the Lord's Word

AE 117

And affliction, 
(Revelation 2:9)

signifies anxiety from a longing to know truths. 
. . . and these are in anxiety as to the spirit 
when they do not understand. 
That these have such anxiety 
when they do not understand, 
no one can know except those 
who are in the affection of truth 
for the sake of truth, 
that is, who are in spiritual affection . . .. 
The reason for this is, 
that such are conjoined to the angels of heaven, 
and angels continually long for truths, 
because they long for intelligence and wisdom; 
they long for these 
as a hungry person longs for food. 
For this reason also 
intelligence and wisdom are called spiritual food. 
A person also has this longing from infancy, 
for when he is an infant, 
and afterwards when a child, 
he is conjoined to heaven, 
and this longing is from heaven; 
but with those who turn themselves to the world 
it perishes.

They have such anxiety when they read the Word 
and do not well understand it, 
because all the truths of heaven and the church
are from the Word, 
and lie concealed therein in its spiritual sense, 
and are not opened to any 
except those as are conjoined to heaven, 
since that sense of the Word is in heaven. 
Yet the spiritual sense itself of the Word 
does not flow in with a person out of heaven, 
but it flows into his affection, 
and through this into the knowledges that he has, 
and thus kindles his longing, 
and he then receives 
the genuine truths of the church 
so far as he can see them 
from the literal sense of the Word. 
Everyone who is in the spiritual affection of truth
is conscious that the things that he knows are few, 
and the things that he does not know are infinite. 
He is aware, moreover, 
that knowing and acknowledging this 
is the first step towards wisdom; 
and that those who pride themselves 
on the things they know, 
and believe themselves on account of these 
to be most intelligent, 
have not reached this first step.