Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 478understanding of truth; “to open their eyes” is to make themunderstand.[17] In John:Isaiah said, He hath blinded their eyes and hardened their heart,that they may not see with their eyes and understand with the heart(12:39, 40).“To blind the eyes that they may not see with their eyes” signifiesevidently not to understand truths.[18] In the same:Jesus said, For judgment came I unto this world, that they who seenot may see, and that they who see may become blind. They said, Arewe blind then? Jesus said, If ye were blind ye would not have sin; butnow ye say, We see, therefore your sin remaineth (9:39–41).“They who see not” mean those who are outside of the church anddo not know truths because they have not the word, thus theGentiles; but “they who see” mean those who are within the churchand have the Word, thus the Jews; of these it is said that “they shallbecome blind;” but of the former, that “they shall see.” It is saidthat “their sin remaineth” because they say that they are not blindbut see, for the reason that they are in the church where the Wordis, and yet are not willing to see and acknowledge truths, nor,consequently, the Lord. On this account the Scribes and Phariseesamong the Jews were called by the Lord:[19] In John:Blind guides of the blind (Matt. 15:14; Luke 6:39).Also blind guides, fools, and foolish (Matt. 23:16, 17, 19, 24).Jesus seeth a man blind from birth. He said to the disciples, while Iam in the world I am the light of the world. When He had thus spoken,He spat on the ground, and made clay of the spittle, and anointed the