Apocalypse Explained, volume 1 - Swedenborg Foundation

APOCALYPSE EXPLAINED 555I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was givenunto them (20:4).“Judgment was given to those who sat upon thrones” signifies thatjudgment belongs to the Lord alone, for “elders” in the Wordsignify all who are in truths from good, and abstractly, truths fromgood by which is judgment. He who supposes that “elders” and“apostles” in the Word mean elders and apostles is much mistaken;in the spiritual sense of the Word no persons are perceived, butthings abstractly from persons, for what is spiritual has nothing incommon with persons. It is otherwise in the sense of the letter ofthe Word, which is natural; in that sense not only are personsmentioned, but the idea of person is implied in many expressions,in order that the Word in its ultimates may be natural, and thus bea basis for the spiritual sense. It is the same with the signification of“elders” as with that of “infants,” “children,” “young men,” “oldmen,” “virgins,” “women,” and many words of that kind; in thenatural sense these are all thought of simply as persons; but in thespiritual sense “infants” mean innocence, “children” charity,“young men” intelligence, “old men” wisdom, “virgins” theaffection of truth and good, and “women” the goods of the church;and so in other cases. The same is true of the natural and spiritualsenses of “neighbor;” in the natural sense “neighbor” means anyman whatever; but in the spiritual sense the good, truth, sincerity,and justice itself that are in the person. Everyone who reflects cansee that this is the neighbor in the spiritual sense; for who loves aperson for any other reason? For good and truth make the man,and cause him to be loved, and not the countenance and body.[3] But to return to the signification of “elders.” That “elders”signify truths from good can be seen from the passages in the Wordwhere they are mentioned. In Isaiah:Then the moon shall blush, and the sun be ashamed, and Jehovahof Hosts shall reign in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem; and before Hiselders shall be glory (24:23).The “moon” and “sun” mean their idolatrous worship and thefalsity of faith and the evil of love; “Mount Zion” and “Jerusalem”