Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 452“lukewarm” is not unlike that of profaners, and their lot is, thatafter their life in the world, all that they have known from theWord is taken away from them, and they are then left to thethought and love of their spirit. And when the thought that theyhad from the Word is taken away, they become the most stupid ofall; and they appear in the light of heaven like burnt skeletonscovered over with some skin. (Of profanation, and the lot of thosewho profane, see in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 172.)234. And neither cold nor hot, signifies that they are betweenheaven and hell, because they are without charity, as is evidentfrom what was said and shown above (n. 231).235. I am about to vomit thee out of My mouth, signifies separationfrom the knowledges from the Word. This is evident from thesignification of “vomiting out,” when said by the Lord, as beingseparation; not that the Lord separates them from Himself, butthey separate themselves from the Lord. It is said “to vomit out,”because the “lukewarm” are treated of, and in the world what islukewarm produces vomiting. And this is also fromcorrespondence; for the food that man takes corresponds toknowledges, and thence in the Word signifies knowledge,; thereforeseparation from knowledges means non-admission; but as thosehere treated of do admit something from the Word, it meansejection or vomiting. (That “food,” from correspondence, signifiesknowledges and intelligence therefrom, see Arcana Coelestia, n.3114, 4459, 4792, 5147, 5293, 5340, 5342, 5410, 5426, 5576,5582, 5588, 5655, 8562; for the reason that knowledges nourishthe internal man or spirit, as food nourishes the external man orbody, n. 4459, 5293, 5576, 6277, 8418.) This is evident also fromthe signification of “out of My mouth,” as being, in reference to theLord, out of the Word. “Out of the mouth” signifies, in referenceto the Lord, out of the Word, because the Word is Divine truth,and this proceeds from the Lord, and what proceeds from the Lordand flows in with man is said to be “out of the mouth,” although itis not from the mouth, but is like light from the sun. For the Lordis seen above the heavens where the angels are as a sun, and lighttherefrom is Divine truth, from which angels and men have all