Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 127immediately precedes; for things that appear disconnected in thesense of the letter, in the internal sense are continuous (see above,n. 17).90. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches signifies thosewho receive goods and truths from the Lord. This is evident fromthe signification of the “seven stars,” as being goods and truths, allfrom the Lord (see above, n. 72); also from the signification of“angels,” as being those in the heavens who are in likecorrespondent good and truth with those in the church (of whichmore in what follows); also from the signification of “sevenchurches,” as being all those who are in truths from good, or infaith from charity, thus all who are of the church (see above, n. 20).From this taken together, it follows as a conclusion that by “theseven stars are the angels of the seven churches” are signified allwho receive goods and truths from the Lord.By “angels” are here signified those who in heaven are in likecorrespondent good and truth with those in the church, becausethe universal heaven is divided into societies, and the societies arearranged according to the affections of good and truth in generaland in particular. These societies correspond to those on earth whoare in like affections of good and truth. All these societies are called“angels,” and each one is called an “angel”; and a society also whenviewed from a distance, and when so presented as to be seen as aone, appears as a single angel (see Heaven and Hell, n. 62, 68–72).Moreover, there is a complete correspondence of heaven with thechurch, or of the angels of heaven with the men of the church;through this correspondence heaven makes a one with the church.From this it is clear what is here signified by the “angels of theseven churches,” and in the following chapter by the “angel” ofeach church, where it is said, “Write to the angel of the Ephesianchurch,” “to the angel of the church of the Smyrneans,” “to theangel of the Pergmean church,” “to the angel of the church ofThyatira,” “to the angel of the church in Sardis,” “to the angel ofthe Philadelphian church,” and “to the angel of the Laodiceanchurch”; the command evidently was to write, not to angels but tochurches, that is, to those who are in such good and truth from theLord and who are described by each church (of whom we shall treat