18. Verses 4, 5, 6. John to the seven churches which are in Asia: Grace be unto you, and peace, from him who is, and who was, and who is to come; and from the seven spirits which are in sight of his throne. And from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the first-born from the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loveth us, and washeth us from our sins in his blood, and hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father: to him be the glory and the strength unto the ages of the ages. Amen.
"John," signifies, the Lord as to doctrine; "to the seven churches," signifies, to all those who are in truths from good, or in faith from charity; "in Asia," signifies those who are in the light of intelligence; "Grace be unto you, and peace," signifies, the delight of truth and good; "from him who is, and who was, and who is to come," signifies, from Him who is the All in all of heaven and the church from eternity; "to eternity and from the seven spirits," signifies, the Divine in heaven; "which are in sight of his throne," signifies, presence and providence.
"And from Jesus Christ," signifies, from the Lord as to the Divine Human; "the faithful witness," signifies, from whom is all truth in heaven; "the first-born from the dead," signifies, from whom is all the good there; "and the prince of the kings of the earth," signifies, from whom is all truth from good in the church; "to him that loveth us, and washeth us from our sins in his blood," signifies, His love, and regeneration by Him, by means of truths which are from Him.
"And hath made us kings and priests," signifies, that from Him we are in His spiritual and celestial kingdom; "to God and his Father," signifies, by Divine truth and Divine good; "to him be the glory and the strength unto the ages of the ages," signifies, that these things are from Him alone to eternity; "Amen," signifies, Divine confirmation.
