Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 17acknowledges Divine truth, and the Divine of the Lord in hishuman, and since that good is signified by “John,” it is also said byJohn that he “bears witness to the Word of God and to thetestimony of Jesus Christ.” So also in another place:And he that hath seen hath borne witness, and his witness is true;and he knoweth that he saith true, that ye may believe (John 19:35);and in another place:This is the disciple that beareth witness of these things, and wrotethese things; and we know that his witness is true (John 21:24).11. Whatsoever things he saw signifies their understandingenlightened. This is evident from the signification of “seeing,” asbeing to understand (see Arcana Coelestia, n. 2150, 2325, 2807,3764, 3863, 3869, 4403–4421, 10705); here, to understand fromenlightenment, because the things of the church and of heaven aretreated of, which are not understood and perceived except fromenlightenment; for things of the church and of heaven, which arecalled spiritual things, do not enter into man’s understanding,except by means of the light of heaven, and the light of heavenenlightens the understanding. For this reason the Word, in whichare contained the things of the church and of heaven, cannot beunderstood except by one who is enlightened, and those only areenlightened who are in the affection of truth from good, thus whoare in love to the Lord and in charity towards the neighbor. Thisgood is spiritual good, with which and from which is the light ofheaven, which enlightens.12. Verse 3. Blessed signifies those in whom is heaven. This isevident from the signification of “the blessed,” as meaning thosewho are happy to eternity, thus in whom is heaven. Blessednessthat is not eternal is indeed called blessedness, yet comparatively itis not, for it passes away, and that which passes away, incomparison with that which does not pass away, is as nothing. It issaid, “in whom is heaven,” because heaven is in man; the heaventhat is outside of man flows into the heaven that is within him, andis received so far as there is correspondence. (That heaven is in