Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 349Those four angels were loosed, which were prepared for the hourand day and month and year, that they should kill the third part of men(9:15).The times here mentioned mean the states of evil with man, as willbe seen in the explanation of these words hereafter. From this it isnow evident that “Thou shalt not know in what hour I will comeupon thee,” means not only that one is ignorant of the time ofdeath but also of the state of life at that time which will continue toeternity; for such as the state of man’s past life is, even to the end,such he remains to eternity.[4] Like things are said by the Lord here and there in theEvangelists. In Matthew:Ye know not in what hour your Lord will come; be ye ready; for inan hour that ye think not, the Son of man cometh (24:42, 44).The lord of the servant shall come in the day when he expectethnot, and in an hour that he knoweth not (24:50).Be wakeful, therefore, for ye know not the day, neither the hour,wherein the Son of man shall come (25:13).It should be known that man remains to eternity such as his wholelife is, even to the end, and by no means such as he is at the hour ofdeath; repentance at that time with the evil is of no avail, but withthe good it strengthens.195a. Verse 4. Thou hast a few name 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 fromthe word to the uses of their life. This is evident from thesignification of “name,” as being the quality of the state of man’slife (see above, n. 148); here, therefore, “names” signify men whoare such. It is evident also from the signification of “the church inSardis,” as being those who live a moral life but not a spiritual life,because they have little regard for the knowledges of truth and goodfrom the Word (see also above, n. 148, 182); but here those are