Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 404love of charity is as the light of spring and summer, in which allthings flourish and are produced, n. 2231, 3146, 3412, 3413; thatthe light of winter, which is that of faith separate from charity, isturned into dense darkness when light out of heaven flows in; andthat they who are in such faith then become blind and stupid, n.3412, 3413; that they who separate faith from charity in doctrineand life are in darkness, thus in ignorance of truth and in falsities,n. 9186; that they cast themselves into falsities and into evilstherefrom, n. 3325, 8094; the errors and falsities into which theycast themselves, n. 4721, 4730, 4776, 4783, 4925, 7779, 8313,8765, 9224; that the Word is closed to them, n. 3773, 4783, 8780;that they do not see and attend to all that the Lord so often saidabout love and charity, and about fruits and good things in act,concerning which n. 1017, 3416; that they do not know what goodis, thus what celestial love is, nor what charity is, n. 2417, 3603,4126, 9995; that the simple in heart, who still are wise, know whatthe good of life is, thus what charity is, but not what faith isseparate from charity, n. 4741, 4754.)212. Behold, I will make them to come and worship at thy feet,signifies the state of such after death, that they will be out ofheaven, and are not to be admitted. This is evident from theconnection with what precedes and follows. This verse treats ofthose who say that they are in truths when yet they are in falsities,because in no charity. Of such it is said in the Word that they willconte to the door and knock, but will not he admitted; “to come tothe door and knock,” is “to worship at the feet;” it is said, “at thyfeet,” because heaven in the whole complex resembles a man; thehighest or third heaven answers to the head, the middle or secondheaven to the body, and the lowest or first heaven to the feet;therefore, to stand at the feet and worship, is to be out of heavenand to wish to be admitted, but not to be able. (That heaven in onecomplex resemble a man, see Heaven and Hell, n. 59–67, seq.; thatthere are three heavens,n. 29–40; and that the highest heaven formsthe head, the middle the body, and the lowest the feet, n. 65.)From this it is clear why those who are out of heaven are said tostand “at the feet.” They cannot be admitted for the reason that thewhole heaven is formed according to the affections of good andtruth, and is divided into societies according to all the differences of