Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 24Word, thus the Lord in respect to the Word, see Arcana Coelestia,n. 2762, 5247; likewise “John the Baptist,” who is therefore called“Elijah,” n. 7643, 9372. That “Peter” signifies faith, and thereforethe Lord in respect to faith, because faith is from the Lord, seeabove, n. 9.) From this it can be seen why “John” signifies theLord. He signifies the Lord in respect to doctrine because it is said,“John to the seven churches,” and by “the seven churches,” in theinternal sense, are meant all who are in truths from good, or infaith from charity; for it is these that constitute the church; anddoctrine is what teaches these truths. From this it is that as theLord is the Word, so is he also the doctrine of the church, for alldoctrine is from the Word. (That the Lord is the doctrine of thechurch, because all truth that is of doctrine is from the Word, thusfrom the Lord, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 2531, 2859, 3712.)20. To the seven churches signifies to all who are in truths fromgood or in faith from charity. This is evident from the significationof “seven,” as being all [persons]. For “seven,” in the Word signifiesthe beginning and end, thus an entire period and a full state, in likemanner as a “week” (Arcana Coelestia, n. 728, 6508, 9228); andbecause “seven” signifies what is full, it also signifies all, since allconstitutes what is full, for fullness, as regards those that constitutea society (here, the church), means all; therefore when magnitude istreated of in the Word, “seven” signifies what is full; but whenmultitude is treated of, “seven” signifies all. “Three” also in theWord signifies what is full and all (as may be seen in ArcanaCoelestia n. 2788, 4495, 7715); but “seven” is used in the Wordwhere anything holy is treated of, and “three” in all other cases(Arcana Coelestia n. 10127); therefore “seven” is here used, becausetruths from good, which are the holy things of the church, aretreated of. It is also evident from the signification of “churches” asbeing those who are in truths from good, or in faith from charity.These are meant by “churches,” because such truths constitutethe church with everyone; for those who are not in truths fromgood, though born within the church, yet are not of the church,because there is no church in them. From this it is that the Lord’schurch consists of all those, wheresoever they are, who are a church,