Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 249is nothing but falsity, for where evil is in the will there is falsity inthe understanding. That to be “born of God” is to be regeneratedby the Lord, see Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 173–184.Moreover, that all in the universe, from influx out of heaven andfrom revelation, worship the Divine in the human form, see Earthsin the Universe, n. 98, 121, 141, 154, 158, 159, 169; likewise allangels of the higher heavens, see Heaven and Hell, n. 78–86.)[6] From this it can now be seen that everything of the church,thus also everything of heaven with men, is from the Lord’s Divinehuman. For this reason “the son of man,” who is the Divinehuman, is described in the first chapter of Revelation, by variousrepresentatives; and from that description the introductorysentences to each of the churches are taken (as may be seen above,n. 113), and what is said to this church in particular treats of thischief essential of the church, namely, the conjunction of theinternal and external, or the regeneration of the man of the church;for it is said to the angel of this church, “These things saith the sonof God, that hath his eyes as a flame of fire.”152. That hath his eyes as a flame of fire, signifies Divineprovidence from his Divine love, also Divine wisdom andintelligence communicated to those who are in love towards himand from that in faith in him. That “eyes as a flame of fire,” meansin reference to the Lord, his Divine Providence from his Divinelove, see above (n. 68). This means also Divine wisdom andintelligence communicated to those who are in love towards theLord, and from that in faith in him, because “eyes” in the Wordsignify in reference to man the understanding of truth, and theunderstanding of truth is intelligence and wisdom; consequently“eyes” signify, in reference to the Lord, Divine wisdom andintelligence proceeding from him; and what proceeds from him iscommunicated to angels and to men who are in love towards himand from that in faith in him. All the wisdom and intelligence thatangels and men have is the Lord’s with them and not their own;and this is also well known in the church; for it is known that allgood, which is of love, and all truth, which is of faith, are fromGod, and nothing thereof from man; and truths interiorly seen and