Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 401for the Lord alone has power over the hells, and man has no powerat all from himself or from what is his own (proprium); thereforeman has power to the extent that he is conjoined to the Lord bylove. There are two loves that reign in the heavens and constitutethe heavens, namely, love to the Lord and love towards theneighbor; love to the Lord is called celestial love, and love towardthe neighbor is called spiritual love. Those who are in celestial lovehave much power, hut those who are in spiritual love have somepower; and because what is written to the angel of this church,treats of those who are in love towards the neighbor, or in charityand in faith therefrom, which love is spiritual love, it is said, “Thouhast some power.”[4] But it is to be noted, that all the power that angels and menhave from the Lord is from the good of love; and since the good oflove does not act from itself but through truths, therefore all poweris from the good of love through truths, and with those who arespiritual, from the good of charity through the truths of faith. Forgood takes on a quality through truths, good without truths havingno quality and where there is no quality there is neither force norpower. From this it is clear, that good has all power through truths,or charity through faith, and neither charity apart from faith norfaith apart from charity has any power. This is meant also by thekeys given to Peter, for “Peter” there means, in the spiritual sense,truth from good which is from the Lord, thus faith from charity;and the “keys” given to him the power over evil and falsities. Thesethings were said to Peter when he acknowledged the Divine of theLord in His Human; which means, that those have power whoacknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, and from Himare in the good of charity, and in the truths of faith. That thesething were said to Peter when he acknowledged the Lord is shownin Matthew:Jesus said to the disciples, Who say ye that I am? Simon Peteranswered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. AndJesus answering said unto him, Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jonah; forflesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but My Father who isin the heavens. Out I also say unto thee, thou art Peter, and upon thisrock I will build My church; and the gates of the hells shall not prevail