Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 341in the Word, and delights in it when it sees and perceives it; thisaffection is the spiritual affection of truth, that has been so oftenspoken of before. This, then, is what is meant in the spiritual senseby “Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, andtake heed.” (That it is the part of a wise man to see and perceivetruth front the light of heaven, but not to confirm what others maysay, see Arcana Coelestia, n. 1017, 4741, 7012, 7680, 7950; that tosee and perceive truth from the light of heaven is granted only tothose that love truth because it is truth, and are therefore in thespiritual affection of truth, n. 8521; that the light of confirmationis not spiritual but natural light, which also the evil may have, n.8780.)191. And repent, signifies consequent spiritual life. This is evidentfrom what has been said above, thus without further explanation.192. If therefore thou shalt not be wakeful, signifies if thou dost notacquire spiritual life. This is evident from the signification of “bewakeful,” as being to acquire for oneself spiritual life (of which seeabove, n. 187).193a. I will come on thee as a thief, signifies the unexpected timeof death, when all the knowledges procured from the Word thathave not acquired spiritual life will be taken away. This is evidentfrom the signification of “coming as a thief,” when said of thosewho are not wakeful, that is, who are not acquiring for themselvesspiritual life, as being that all the knowledges acquired from theWord that have not acquired spiritual life will be taken away fromthem. These words signify also the unexpected time of death,because death comes unexpectedly, and after death man remains toeternity in the state of that life which he acquired for himself in theworld; for this reason man must be wakeful. As it is known to fewthat all the knowledges gained from the Word that have notacquired spiritual life are taken away, it is necessary to explain howthis is done. All things that are in man’s spirit remain with him toeternity; but the things that are not in man’s spirit, after death,when he becomes a spirit, are dissipated. Those things remain inthe spirit of man that he has thought from himself, that is, the