Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 119Fear not (Dan. 10:12, 19; Luke 1:12, 13; 2:8–10; Matt. 28:5,9–10).Renewal of life, that comes by accommodation to reception,appears in the spiritual world, when it is presented to view, as acloud. All societies there are encompassed by such a cloud, denseror rarer according to reception. (That angels are encompassed by athin correspondent cloud, lest they should be hurt by a nearerinflux of the Divine of the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 6849.What “clouds” are in the spiritual world, and therefore in thespiritual sense, see above, n. 36.)81. I am the first and the last signifies who governs all things fromfirsts by means of ultimates, thus all things of heaven. This isevident from the explanation given above (n. 41).82. Verse 18. And the living one signifies who is from eternity.This is evident from this, that he who is from eternity is the onlyliving one, and that all others, who are not from eternity, have beencreated by him, and thus made recipients of life from him.Therefore he only who is from eternity has life in himself, and noone besides him. That the Lord, in respect both to the Divine andto the human, has life in himself is evident from what is said inJohn:In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, andGod was the Word. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.And the Word became flesh, and dwelt in us (John 1:2–4, 14).That the Lord is here meant by the “Word” is clear, for it is said,“the Word became flesh, and dwelt in us.” In the same:As the Father hath life in himself, even so gave he to the son tohave life in himself (John 5:26).Jesus said, I am the resurrection and the life (John 11:25).Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6).