Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 383205. He that hath the key of David, signifies who has power bymeans of Divine truth. This is evident from the signification of“key,” as being the power of opening and shutting, here heaven andhell, for it follows, “He that openeth and no one shutteth, andshutteth and no one openeth;” therefore “key” means here thepower of saving (as above, n. 86), since to open heaven and to shuthell is to save. It is evident also from the representation of “David,”as being the Lord in respect to Divine truth. By “David” in theWord the Lord is meant, because by “kings” in the Word the Lordin respect to Divine truth is represented, and by “priests” there theLord in respect to Divine good. The Lord is represented especiallyby king David, because David had much care of the matters of thechurch, and also wrote the Psalms. (That “kings” in the Wordsignify Divine truth, and “priests” Divine good, see above, n. 31;moreover, that all names of persons and places in the Word signifyspiritual things, which are the things pertaining to the church andto heaven, see above, n. 19, 50, 102a.) It is said, “He that hath thekey of David,” because David (as was just said) represented theLord in respect to Divine truth, and the Lord has all power in theheavens and on earth from Divine good through Divine truth; forin general good without truth has no power, neither has truthwithout good any power, for good acts through truth. From this itis that Divine good and Divine truth proceed united from theLord, and so far as they are conjointly received by the angels, so farthe angels are powers. This then, is why it is said “the key ofDavid.” (That all power is in truths from good, see in the work onHeaven and Hell, n. 228–233, where the Power of the Angels ofHeaven is treated of; also n. 539.)[2] That by “David” in the Word the Lord is meant is clearlyevident from certain passages where he is mentioned in theprophets. As in Ezekiel:They shall be to Me for a people,and I will be to them for a God,and My servant David king over them, that they may all have oneshepherd. They shall dwell upon the land, they and their sons and theirson’s sons even to eternity; and David My servant shall be prince tothem to eternity (37:23–25).