Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 184(That by “riches” in the Word are meant spiritual riches, which arethe knowledges of truth and good from the Word, see ArcanaCoelestia, n. 1694, 4508, 10227; and Heaven and Hell, n. 365; andin a contrary sense, the knowledges of what is false and evil, whichare confirmed from the sense of the letter of the Word, ArcanaCoelestia, n. 1694.) That “riches” in the Word signify theknowledges of truth and good, and intelligence and wisdomtherefrom, is from correspondence; for with the angels in heaven allthings appear as if refulgent with gold, and silver, and preciousstones; and this so far as they are in the intelligence of truth and inthe wisdom of good. Also with the spirits who are below theheavens there are riches in appearance according to the reception oftruth and good from the Lord with them.119. And the blasphemy of them who say that they are Jews and theyare not, signifies denunciation by those who think themselves to bein the knowledges of good and truth because they have the Word,and yet they are not. This is evident from the signification of“blasphemy,”as being reviling and denunciation; and from thesignification of “Jews,” as being those who are in the knowledges ofgood and truth from the Word; for “Judah,” in the highest sense ofthe Word, signifies the Lord in respect to celestial love, in theinternal sense the Lord’s celestial kingdom and the Word, and inthe external sense doctrine from the Word, which is of the celestialchurch (see Arcana Coelestia, 3881, 6363). From this it can be seenthat by the “blasphemy of them who say that they are Jews andthey are not,” is signified reviling and denunciation by those whosay that they acknowledge the Lord, and are in his kingdom and intrue doctrine, because they have the Word, and yet they are not; ingeneral, those who say that they are in the knowledges of good andtruth from the Word, and yet are in falsities and evils.[2] Those who know nothing of the internal sense of the Wordcannot know otherwise than that by “Judah” and “Jews,” in theprophetical parts of the word, are meant Judah and the Jews; these,however are not there meant by their names, but all who are in thetrue doctrine of the church, thus who are in the knowledges ofgood and truth from the Word; and in the contrary sense, those