Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 18man, and that the internal of a man who is in heavenly love isheaven in the least form, corresponding to the greatest, may be seenin Heaven and Hell, n. 51–58; and that he who has heaven inhimself comes into heaven may be seen in New Jerusalem and ItsHeavenly Doctrine, n. 232–236.)13. Is he that readeth signifies that they have perception. This isevident from the signification of “reading” the Word, as being tounderstand from enlightenment, thus to perceive, since to “read”signifies the like as to “see,” because he who reads, sees, and to “see”signifies to perceive from enlightenment, as was shown just above(n. 11).14. And they that hear the words of the prophecy signifies that theylive according to the doctrine of heaven. This is evident from thesignification of “hearing,” as being to perceive and obey (see ArcanaCoelestia, n. 2542, 3869, 4653, 5017, 7216, 8361, 8990, 9311,9397, 10061); thus also to live according to that doctrine; for thosewho perceive and obey the doctrine of heaven live according to it;and from the signification of “the words of the prophecy,” as beingthe truths that pertain to the doctrine of heaven; for “words” aretruths (n. 4692, 5075); and “prophecy” is doctrine (n. 2534,7269); here it is the doctrine of heaven, since it is prophecybelonging to the Word, and the Word is from heaven. To “hear” isto obey and to live, because with celestial angels the things that areheard enter into the life; but as this is a thing unknown, I wouldlike to explain it briefly.There are two senses given to man which serve as means ofreceiving the things whereby the rational is formed, and also thethings by which man is reformed; these are the sense of sight andthe sense of hearing; the other senses are for other uses. The thingsthat enter by the sense of sight enter into man’s understanding andenlighten it, for which reason by “sight” is signified theunderstanding enlightened, for the understanding corresponds tothe sight of the eye, as the light of heaven corresponds to the lightof the world. The things, however, that enter by the sense ofhearing enter both into the understanding and into the will, and