Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 171and in Matthew:Whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have moreabundantly (Matt. 13:12; 25:29);and in Luke:The lord said to the servant who from the pound given him gainedten pounds, Because thou hast been faithful in a very little, thou shalthave authority over ten cities (Luke 19:16, 17).By “ten” is here signified much and full, and by “cities” intelligenceand wisdom. (That “ten” signifies much and full, see ArcanaCoelestia, n. 1988, 3107, 4638; and the “cities” signify those thingsthat are of intelligence and wisdom, n. 2449, 2712, 2943, 3216,3584, 4492, 4493, 5297.)113. These things saith the first and the last, signifies the Lord, whogoverns all things from the Divine human, from firsts by means ofultimates. This is evident from the signification of “the first and thelast,” as being, in reference to the Lord, his ruling all things fromfirsts by means of ultimates (see above, n. 41). That it is the Lord inrespect to the Divine human who here and in what follows speaksto the angels of the churches, can be seen from the precedingchapter, where similar things are said of the son of man; and theson of man is the Lord in respect to the Divine human (see above,n. 63). This is clearly shown by bringing the passages together; forexample, the son of man is described in the preceding chapter asseen:In the midst of the golden lamp stands, having in his right handseven stars (Rev. 1:13, 16).These same things introduce what is written to the angel of theEphesian church in these words, “These things saith he thatholdeth the seven stars in his right hand, that walketh in the midstof the seven golden lamp stands” (verse 1 of this chapter).[2] In the preceding chapter the son of man is described thus: