Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 311God. Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, andtake heed, and repent; if, therefore, thou shalt not be wakeful, I willcome on thee as a thief and thou shalt not know in what hour I willcome upon thee. The hast a few names even in Sardis that have notdefiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, forthey are worthy. He that overcometh shall be clothed in whitegarments; and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; and Iwill confess his name before My Father and before His angel. Hethat hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto thechurches. 1. “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write”signifies those who live a moral but not a spiritual life, because theyhave little regard for the knowledges of spiritual things and forintelligence and wisdom therefrom (n. 182); “these things saith hethat hath the seven spirits of God,” signifies the Lord, from whomare all the truths of heaven and of the church (n. 183); “and theseven stars,” signifies from whom are all the knowledges of truthand good (n. 184); “I know thy works,” signifies the things that areof their life (n. 185); “that thou hast a name that thou livest, andart dead,” signifies the quality of their thought, in that they thinkthemselves to be alive because they are living a moral life, when yetthey are dead (n. 186). 2. “Be wakeful,” signifies that they shouldacquire for themselves life (n. 187); “and confirm the thingsremaining that are about to die,” signifies in order that the thingsthat belong to the moral life may be vivified (n. 188); “for I havenot found thy works full before God,” signifies that otherwise theDivine is not in the moral life (n. 189). 3. “Remember, therefore,how thou hast received and heard, and take heed,” signifiesrecalling to mind and attention what the Lord teaches in the Word(n. 190); “and repent,” signifies consequent spiritual life (n. 191);“if, therefore, thou shalt not be wakeful,” signifies if thou dost notacquire spiritual life (n. 192); “I will come on thee as a thief,”signifies the unexpected time of death, when all knowledgesprocured from the Word that have not acquired spiritual life will hetaken away (n. 193); “and thou shalt not know in what hour I willcome upon thee,” signifies ignorance of that time and the state then(n. 194). 4. “Thou hast a few names even in Sardis that have notdefiled their garments,” signifies those who live a moral life from aspiritual origin, by applying the knowledges of truth and good[from the Word] to the uses of their life (n. 195); “and they shall