Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 192when they saw the son, said among themselves, This is the heir; come,let us kill him, and possess his inheritance. And they took him, and casthim forth out of the vineyard, and killed him (Matt. 21:33–44).The wisdom of God said, I will send unto them prophets andapostles, and some of them they shall kill and persecute (Luke 11:49).(That by “prophets” in the Word are meant those who teach truths,and in a sense abstracted from persons the doctrine of truth, seeArcana Coelestia, n. 2534, 7269; and that “apostles” have a similarsignification, see above, n. 100.)Blessed are ye, when men shall reproach you, and persecute you,and shall say every evil word against you falsely, for my sake; rejoice andexult, for great is your reward in the heavens; for so persecuted they theprophets that were before you (Matt. 5:10–12).Blessed are ye when men shall hate you, and when they shallseparate you, and shall reproach you and cast out your name as evil, forthe son of man’s sake; for in the same manner did their fathers unto theprophets (Luke 6:22, 23).[4] Similar to this is the signification of the words of the Lord,that they should follow him and take up their cross; as in thefollowing passages:Jesus said unto his disciples, If anyone will come after me, let himdeny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me (Matt. 16:24; Mark8:34);“to deny oneself” is to put away evils that are from proprium [theself-life].Whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot bemy disciple (Luke 14:27).Jesus said to the young man who was rich, one thing thou lackest;go, sell whatsoever thou hast, and come, follow me, bearing the cross(Mark 10:21).