202. Verses 7-13. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth. I know thy works; behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no one is able to shut it; because thou hast a little power, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name. Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of my endurance, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which shall come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell on the earth. Behold, I come quickly; hold fast that thou hast, that no one take thy crown. He that overcometh I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out: and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and my new name. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.
"And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write" signifies those of the church who are in the faith of charity; "these things saith he that is holy, he that is true," signifies from whom that faith is derived: "he that hath the key of David," signifies, who has power by means of Divine truth: "he that openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth" signifies, the power of admitting into heaven all those who are in the faith of charity, and of removing from heaven all those who are not.
"I know thy works," signifies the life of charity: "behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no one is able to shut it," signifies that they shall be introduced into heaven, and that it will be denied to no one who is of such a quality: "because thou hast a little power, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name," signifies that they have power from the Lord against evils and falsities, in proportion as they make truths from the Word of their life, and acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human.
"Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan," signifies, those who are in the doctrine of faith alone, and not in charity: "which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie," signifies, who believe themselves to be in truths, when nevertheless they are in falsities: "behold, I will make them to come and worship at thy feet," signifies, the state of such after death, that they will be outside heaven, not to be admitted: "and to know that I have loved thee," signifies, knowledge thence that the Lord is present in charity, and not in faith without it.
"Because thou hast kept the word of my endurance" signifies, that they have lived according to the precepts of the Lord: "I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation, which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth," signifies, the time of the Last Judgment, when those who are in the former heaven must be visited, because these must be saved. "Behold, I come quickly," signifies that this is certain: "hold fast that thou hast," signifies permanence in a state of faith from charity even unto the end: "that no one take thy crown," signifies, lest intelligence perish.
"Him that overcometh, I will make a pillar in the temple of my God," signifies that those who so persevere will be in Divine truth in heaven: "and he shall go no more out," signifies that they shall be in it to eternity: "and I will write upon him the name of my God," signifies their quality, according to Divine truth implanted in life: "and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God," signifies, the doctrine of the New Church which is in the heavens; "and my new name," signifies that they will also acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies that he who understands should hearken to what Divine truth proceeding from the Lord teaches and says to those who belong to His church.
