Capítulo 1 (EL CIELO): El Dios del Cielo es el Señor

2. Lo primero será saber quien es el Dios del cielo, puesto que de ello dependen las demás cosas. En el cielo entero sólo el Señor es reconocido por Dios del cielo y ningún otro. Allí dicen, como Él mismo enseñó:

Que Él es uno con el Padre; que el Padre es en Él y Él en el Padre; que quien ve a Él, ve al Padre y que todo lo Santo procede de Él (Juan 10:30, 38; 14:9-11; 16:13-15).

He hablado varias veces con los ángeles sobre este particular, y siempre han dicho, que en el cielo no se puede partir lo Divino en tres, porque saben y sienten que la Divinidad es única, y que es única en el Señor. También han dicho, que los de la iglesia que llegan del mundo, teniendo la idea de tres Divinidades (Divinas Personas), no pueden ser admitidos en el cielo, puesto que su pensamiento pasa continuamente de uno a otro, y allí no es permitido pensar tres y decir uno; porque cada uno en el cielo habla por el pensamiento, siendo así que allí el hablar es pensar, o sea el pensar es hablar, por lo cual los que en el mundo han dividido la Divinidad en tres, formándose separada idea de cada uno, y no habiéndolos reunido y concentrado en el Señor, no pueden ser recibidos, porque en el cielo tiene lugar una comunicación de todo pensamiento; por lo cual si allí entrase alguien que pensara tres y dijera uno, sería en seguida descubierto y rechazado. Pero hay que saber que todos aquellos que no han separado la verdad del bien, o sea la fe del amor, al ser instruidos en la otra vida, reciben el celestial concepto del Señor de que Él es el Dios del universo. Otra cosa sucede con los que han separado la fe de la vida, es decir, los que no han vivido conforme a los preceptos de la verdadera fe.

137. Even in the days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you. That this signifies in that time and state wherein all are hated who acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord, is evident from the signification of day, as denoting time and state (concerning which see Arcana Coelestia 23, 488, 493, 893, 2788, 3462, 3785, 4850, 10656); hence, in the days in which, signifies, in that time and state. And the same is evident from the signification of Antipas, my faithful martyr, as being those who acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord, concerning which more will be said in what follows; and also from the signification of being slain, as being to be hated. The reason why this is denoted by being slain, is, that he who hates is perpetually endeavouring to kill; for he thinks of nothing else and desires nothing else but to kill, and also he would kill if the laws did not restrain him. This is concealed in hatred; therefore, those who hate their neighbour, in the other life, when external bonds are removed, continually breathe out murder; this has been made known to me from much experience.

[2] The reason why "Antipas, my faithful martyr," signifies those who are hated because of their acknowledgment of the Divine Human of the Lord is that at that time one Antipas was on this account slain, therefore by him are meant all those who are hated on that account: just as by Lazarus, who lay at the rich man's gate, and desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from his table, are meant all those whom the Lord loves because they desire truths from spiritual affection (as may be seen above, n. 118). That the Lord loved a certain person called Lazarus, whom also He raised from the dead is evident in John (11:3, 5, 36), and that he sat with the Lord at table (chapter 12), therefore, he who desired to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table, by which is signified a desire for truths from spiritual affection, was called by the Lord Lazarus. As he was named Lazarus on that account, so Antipas is here mentioned because he became a martyr for the name of the Lord, that is, because of the acknowledgment of His Divine Human.

[3] That such are hated by all those who do not think of the Divine of the Lord at the same time as they do of His Human, cannot be known from their conduct while they are in the world, but they make it clear in the other life, where they burn with so much hatred against those who approach the Lord alone as cannot be described in words; there is nothing which they more eagerly desire than to murder them. The reason is that all who are in the hells are against the Lord, and all who are in the heavens are in favour of the Lord; and those who belong to the church, and do not acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, act as one with the hells, hence they entertain such great hatred. It has been often told them that they do evil, because they know from the Word,

that the Lord hath all power in the heavens and on earth (Matthew 28:18);

thus that He is the God of heaven and earth: also

that He is the way, the truth, and the life, and that no one cometh to the Father but by Him (John 14:6);

as also that

he who seeth the Lord seeth the Father, because He is in the Father and the Father in Him (John 14:7-11);

and

that no one hath seen the Father's shape, nor heard His voice, but the Lord alone, who is in His bosom, and is one with Him (John 1:18; 5:37);

besides many other places.

When they hear these truths they turn themselves away, for they cannot deny them, but are offended, and even breathe out murder against all those who acknowledge them, because hatred is rooted in them (as may be seen above, n. 114). That such persons would hate all those who thus acknowledge the Lord, was foretold by the Lord Himself in several passages, as in Matthew:

In the consummation of the age, "they shall deliver you up to be afflicted, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my name's sake" (24:9, 10).

And in John:

Jesus said, "If the world hate you, know ye that it hated me before it hated you. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you. All these things will they do unto you for my name's sake" (15:18-25).

(See moreover the passages adduced above from the Word, n. 122.) These things are said, that it may be known that by "Antipas, my faithful martyr, who was slain among you," is meant those who are hated because they acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord.