87. "'He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.'" (2:7) This symbolically means that anyone who understands these things, let him obey what the Divine truth of the Word teaches those who will be members of the New Church, which is the New Jerusalem.

To hear means, symbolically, both to perceive and to obey, because a person pays attention in order to perceive and obey. That both are symbolically meant by hearing is apparent from common speech, in which people speak of hearing someone or something, and of listening to someone or something, the first signifying to perceive, the latter to obey.

To hear has both symbolic meanings owing to correspondence, for the province of the ears in heaven is occupied by people who possess perception and at the same time are obedient.

Since hearing has both symbolic meanings, therefore the Lord says so many times, "He who has an ear to hear, let him hear!" (Matthew 11:15; 13:43; Mark 4:9, 23; 7:16; Luke 8:8; 14:35) And the same command is also addressed to all the churches here, as is apparent from verses 11, 17, and 29 in this chapter, and from verses 6, 13, and 22 in the following chapter.

The spirit that speaks to the churches, moreover, symbolizes the Divine truth of the Word, and the churches symbolize the entire church throughout the Christian world. To be shown that the Divine truth emanating from the Lord is meant by the spirit of God, which is the same as the Holy Spirit, see The Doctrine of the New Church Regarding the Lord51. And because the entire church is meant, we are told not what the spirit says to the church (singular), but what the spirit says to the churches (plural).