Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 157truths more readily than those Christians who, in what they do,give no thought to the Word, or to the doctrine of the church,which is from the Word.[4] Those who do not think from religion do not haveconscience, because they are not spiritual; consequently, if theirexternal bonds, which are fears respecting the law and reputation,should be loosened with them, they would rush into everywickedness; while on the other hand, if external bonds, which arefears respecting the law and reputation, should be taken away fromthose who think from religion, they would still act sincerely, justly,and well; for they fear God, and are kept in a life of obedience andcharity out of heaven from the Lord, to whom they are conjoined.Those who separate charity from faith are called “Nicolaitans”chiefly from the sound of that word in heaven, for its sound is fromtruth or faith, and not from good or charity. (That from theexpressions in the Word it may be known whether they involvegood or truth, thus also whether they involve the one separate fromthe other, see Heaven and Hell, n. 241.)108. Verse 7. He that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saithunto the churches, signifies that he who understands should hearkento what Divine truth proceeding from the Lord teaches and says tothose who are of his church. This is evident from the significationof “he that hath an ear let him hear,” as being that he whounderstands should hearken, or obey (that to “hear” is tounderstand and to do, that is, to hearken, see above, n. 11); alsofrom the signification of “the spirit,” here the spirit of God, asbeing Divine truth proceeding from the Lord (see Arcana Coelestia,n. 3704, 5307, 6788, 6982, 6993, 7001, 7499, 8302, 9199, 9228,9229, 9303, 9407, 9818, 9820, 10330); and from the significationof “churches,” as being those who are in truths from good, or infaith from charity, that is, who are of the church, for no others areof the church. These words, namely, “he that hath an ear let himhear what the spirit saith `into the churches,” are said to each of thechurches (here to the church of Ephesus; afterwards to the churchin Smyrna, verse 11; in Pergamum, verse 17; in Thyatira, verse 29;in Sardis, chapter 3, verse 6; in Philadelphia, verse 13; and in