"And out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword," signifies, the dispersion of falses by the Word, and by doctrine thence from the Lord: "And his face was as the sun shineth in his power," signifies, the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom, which are himself, and proceed from himself: “And when I saw him, I fell at his feet as dead," signifies, a defect of his own life from such presence of the Lord: "And he laid his right hand upon me," signifies, life then inspired from him: "Saying unto me, Fear not," signifies, resuscitation, and at the same time adoration from the most profound humiliation: "I am the First and the Last," signifies, that he is eternal and infinite, therefore, the only God: "And am he that liveth," signifies, who alone is life, and from whom alone life is: "And was dead," signifies, that he was neglected in the church, and his Divine Humanity not acknowledged: "And behold, I am alive for ever and ever," signifies, that he is life eternal: "Amen," signifies, divine confirmation that this is truth: "And I have the keys of hell and death," signifies, that he alone has power to save: "Write the things which thou hast seen, and the things which are, and the things which shall be hereafter," signifies, that all the things which are now revealed are for the use of posterity: "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks," signifies, arcana in visions concerning the new heaven and the new church: "The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches," signifies, the new church in the heavens, which is the new heaven: "And the seven candlesticks which thou sawest, are the seven churches," signifies, the New Church upon earth, which is the New Jerusalem descending from the Lord out of the new heaven.

THE EXPLANATION.

1. WHAT the spiritual sense is, has hitherto been unknown. That there is such a sense in every particular of the Word, is shown in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Sacred Scriptures, n. 5—26, and that without it, the Word in many places cannot be understood: this sense does not appear in the literal sense, for it is in it as the soul in its body. It is well known, that there is what is spiritual, and what is natural; and that what is spiritual flows into what is natural, and renders itself visible and sensible in those forms which are the objects of sight and touch, and that what is spiritual, without such forms, is perceived no otherwise than as

affection and thought, or as love and wisdom which are of the mind that affection and thought, or love whose property it is to be affected, and wisdom whose property it is to think, are spiritual, is acknowledged; that these two faculties of the mind show themselves in the body in forms, which are called organs of sense and motion, is well known; also, that they make a one, and such a one as that what the mind thinks, that the mouth in an instant speaks, and what the mind wills, that the body in an instant does; hence it is evident, that there is a perfect union of things spiritual and natural in man. It is the same with every thing in the world, both generally and particularly; there is in them something spiritual, which is the inmost of the cause, and something natural, which is its effect, and these two make a one; and what is spiritual does not appear in what is natural, because it dwells in it as the soul in its body, and as the inmost of the cause in the effect, as was observed before. It is the same with the Word; that this is internally spiritual, because it is divine, cannot be denied by any one; but as what is spiritual does not appear in the sense of the letter, which is natural, therefore, the spiritual sense has hitherto been unknown; nor could it have been known before genuine truths were revealed by the Lord, for in these that sense consists. For this reason the Apocalypse has not been understood before. But lest any doubt should remain, that such things are contained in it, the particulars must be explained, and demonstrated by similar passages in other parts of the Word. The explanation and demonstration now follow.

2. "The Revelation of Jesus Christ," signifies, predictions from the Lord concerning himself and his church, what the latter will be in its end, and what it will be afterwards, as well in the heavens as upon earth. By the Revelation of Jesus Christ are signified all predictions, which, coming from the Lord, are called the Reve lation of Jesus Christ; that they relate to the Lord and his church, will appear from the explanations. The Apocalypse does not treat of the successive states of the church, much less of the successive states of kingdoms, as some

have hitherto believed, but from beginning to end it treats of the last state of the church in heaven and earth; and then concerning the last judgment; and after this the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem: That this New Church is the end and object of this work, is very evident, wherefore those things which are first mentioned refer to the state of the church, as to its quality immediately antecedent to its appearance. But in what series these matters are treated of, may be seen from the contents of each chapter; and more distinctly from the explanation. of each particular verse.

3. "Which God gave unto him to show unto his servants," signifies, for those who are in faith derived from charity, or in truths of wisdom derived from the good of love. By showing is signified to manifest, and by servants are here signified those who are in faith derived from charity; to them these things are manifested, because they understand and receive them: by servants, in a spiritual sense, are understood those who are in truths; and because truths originate in good, by servants are understood those who are in truths derived from good, therefore, also, those who are in wisdom derived from love, because wisdom is of truth, and love is of good; also those who are in faith derived from charity, because faith also is of truth, and charity is of good; and since the genuine spiritual sense is abstracted from person, therefore in it by servants are signified truths. Now truths being subservient to good by their teaching it, therefore, in general, and properly, by servant, in the Word, is meant what is subservient, or he or that which serves; in this sense not only the prophets are called the servants of God, but also the Lord as to his Humanity; that the prophets are called the servants of God, is evident from the following passages: "Jehovah hath sent unto you all his servants the prophets," Jerem. xxv. 4. "He revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets," Amos iii. 7. "His laws which he set before us by his servants the prophets," Dan. ix. 10; and Moses is called the servant of Jehovah," Malachi iii. 22;* the

* In the Hebrew Bible there are only three chapters in Malachi,

reason is because by a prophet in the spiritual sense is understood truth of doctrine, as explained below. And because the Lord was divine truth itself, which also is the Word, and is thence called the Prophet; and served in the world, and serves all to eternity by his teaching, therefore, he also, in many places, is called the servant of Jehovah; as in the following: "He shall see of the travail. of his soul, and shall be satisfied; by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many," Isaiah liii. 11. "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, he shall be exalted, and extolled, and be very high," Isaiah lii. 13. "Behold, my servant whom I uphold, mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth, I have put my spirit upon him," Isaiah xlii. 1, 19; this is spoken of the Lord: in like manner David is called a servant, where, by him, the Lord is understood; as in the following passages: "And I the Lord will be their God, and my servant David a prince among them," Ezek. xxxiv. 24. "David, my servant, shall be king over them, that they all shall have one shepherd," Ezek. xxxvii. 24. "I will defend this city to save it, for mine own sake, and for my servant David's sake,' Isaiah xxxvii. 35. So also in Psalm lxxviii. 70-72, lxxxix. 3, 4, 20. That by David in these places is meant the Lord, may be seen in the Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord, n. 43, 44. The Lord himself says the same of himself; “ Whosoever will be great among you, let him be your minister, and whosoever will be chief among you, let him be your servant, even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister," Matt. xx. 26, 28, Mark x. 42-44, Luke xxii. 27, and so in Luke xii. 37. This the Lord says, because by servant and minister is understood one who serves and ministers by teaching, and, abstracted from person, divine truth, which was himself. Since, therefore, by servant is understood he who teaches divine truth, it is evident that by servants in this place in the Apocalypse are meant

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and as our author quotes from the Hebrew text, it may be necessary to observe, that this text in our version is chap. iv. 4. In all like instances we shall alter it to the state of the English text. EDITORS.

those who are in truths derived from good, or in faith derived from charity, because these can teach from the Lord, that is, the Lord can teach and minister by them. In this sense they are called servants in Matthew: "In the consummation of the age, who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his Lord hath made ruler over his household, to give them their meat in due season: blessed is that servant whom his Lord, when he cometh, shall find so doing," xxiv. 45. And in Luke: "Blessed are those servants, whom the Lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily, I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them," xii. 37. In heaven all are called servants of the Lord, who are in his spiritual kingdom, but they who are in his celestial kingdom are called ministers; the reason is, because they who are in his spiritual kingdom, are in wisdom from divine truth; and they who are in his celestial kingdom, are in love from divine good; and good ministers and truth serves. But in an opposite sense, by servants are meant those who serve the devil; these are in a state of real servitude; but they who serve the Lord are in a state of liberty; as the Lord also teaches in John, viii. 32-36.

4. Things which must shortly come to pass," signifies, that they will certainly be, lest the church perish. By coming to pass shortly, is not meant that the things which are foretold in the Apocalypse, will happen immediately and speedily, but certainly; and that unless they do happen the church must perish. In the divine idea, and thence in the spiritual sense, there is no time, but instead of time, there is state; and because shortly relates to time, by it is signified certainly, and, that it will come to pass before its time; for the Apocalypse was given in the first century, and since that seventeen centuries have now elapsed, from which it is evident, that by shortly is signified that which corresponds to it, and that is, certainly. The like is also involved in these words of the Lord; "Except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved; but for the elect's sake, those days shall be shortened," Matt. xxiv. 22: by which also is