Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 40meant, or, what is the same, faith from charity; since truth is offaith, and good is of charity.[2] That kings are not meant can be seen simply from its herebeing said that Jesus Christ “hath made us kings and priests”; andafterwards:And hast made us to be unto our God kings and priests, and weshall reign upon the earth (Rev. 5:10);and in Matthew:The good seed sown in the field are the sons of the kingdom(Matt. 13:38);the “seed of the field” are truths from good with man from theLord (Arcana Coelestia, n. 3373, 10248, 10249). Everyone,moreover, may perceive that the Lord will not make all those heretreated of to be kings, but that he calls them kings from the powerand the glory which those have who from the Lord are in truthsfrom good. From this it can now be seen that by “king,” in theprophetic Word, is meant the Lord as to Divine truth, and by“kings” and “princes,” those who from the Lord are in truths fromgood, and as most things in the Word have also an opposite sense,that “kings” signify in that sense those who are in falsities from evil.[3] That by “King” in the Word is meant the Lord in respect toDivine truth is clear from the words of the Lord himself to Pilate:Pilate said, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest it,because I am a king. For this have I been born, and for this am I comeinto the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Everyone thatis in the truth heareth my voice. Pilate said unto him, What is truth?(John 18:37, 38).From the question of Pilate, “What is truth,” it is clear that heunderstood that truth was called “king” by the Lord; but as he wasa Gentile, and knew nothing from the Word, he could not be