Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 280delightful is of love and according to the love (of which also seeabove, n. 146). Here “giving to each one according to his works”signifies eternal blessedness according to the internal in theexternal, because those are here treated of, who at the same time arein the internal and the external, and of the conjunction of the two(see above, n. 150). It is said, eternal blessedness according to theinternal in the external, because all heavenly blessedness with man,spirit, and angel flows in through the internal into their external;for their internal is formed for the reception of all things of heaven,and their external for the reception of all things of the world;therefore there is heavenly blessedness with those only with whomthe internal has been opened and formed after the image of heaven;and not with those in whom the internal has been shut; theblessedness of these is the delight of honor, glory, and gain, whichdelight a man may have so long as he lives in the world. (But afterdeath, when man becomes a spirit, this is changed into thecorresponding delight which is filthy and direful, see Heaven andHell, n. 485–490; and that the blessedness of heaven, which iscalled heavenly joy, those only have who are in the internal andfrom that in the external, see the same, n. 395–414; and what theinternal and the external are, see Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n.36–53.)169. Verse 24. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira,signifies to all and each one within whom the internal is conjoinedto the external. This is evident from what was said and shownabove (n. 150), namely that in what is written to the angel of thechurch in Thyatira those are described who are in the internal andfrom that in the external, thus those with whom the internal isconjoined to the external.170. As many as have not this doctrine, signifies with whomexternal delight, which is the delight of the love of self and theworld, is not dominant. This is evident from the signification ofthat “doctrine” which “Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess,”taught, and by which she seduced, as being the delight of love ofself and the world (of which see above, n. 159–161). Here“doctrine” signifies life; so by “not having it” is signified not to live