Apocalypse Explained # 120
120. But are a synagogue of Satan, signifies the doctrine of all falsities with these. This is evident from the signification of "synagogue," as being doctrine (of which presently); and from the signification of "Satan," as being the hell from which are all falsities. There are two kinds of hells, one in which those are who are in evils, and the other in which those are who are in the falsities of evil. The hell in which those are who are in evils is called, in one word, Devil, and that in which those are who are in the falsities of evil is called, in one word, Satan. That the hells are thus named is totally unknown to those who know nothing about the hells, but have adopted the belief that the devil was created an angel of light, and because he rebelled was cast down with his crew, and thus hell was made. (That the hells are called Devil and Satan may be seen in the work on Heaven and Hell 311, 544, 553; and in the small work on The Last Judgment, in the chapter where it is shown that Heaven and Hell are from the Human Race, n. 14-22.)
[2] Let it be known, moreover, that as all goods and truths are from the Lord out of the heavens, so all evils and falsities are out of the hells. He is greatly deceived who believes that goods and truths have any other source than out of the heavens from the Lord, or that evils and falsities have any other source than out of the hells. Man is simply a receptacle of these, and to whichever he turns himself of that he is a recipient. If he turns himself towards heaven, which is effected by the goods of love and the truths of faith, he receives goods and truths from the Lord; but if he turns himself towards hell, which is effected by the evils of love and falsities of faith, he receives evils and falsities from the hells. Now as all evils and falsities are from the hells, and as the hells are called, in one word, either Devil or Satan, it follows that by Devil are also signified all evils, and by Satan all falsities. From this it is that by a "synagogue of Satan" the doctrine of all falsities is signified.
[3] By "synagogue" doctrine is signified, because in the synagogues there was instruction, and differences in matters of doctrine were also adjusted. That there was instruction in the synagogues is evident from Matthew 4:23; 9:35; 13:54; Mark 1:21, 22, 29, 39; 6:2; Luke 4:15, 16, 44; 13:10, 14; John 18:20. That differences in matters of doctrine were adjusted in the synagogues may be inferred from what is said in Matthew 10:17; Mark 13:9; Luke 12:11; 21:12; John 9:22; 12:42; 16:2, 3. That with the Jewish nation there was the doctrine of all falsities can be seen from many things known as to that nation; namely, that they denied the Lord; that they wish for a Messiah whose kingdom will be upon the earth, and who will exalt them above all other nations in the world; that they place all worship in externals, and reject the internals of worship, which are of faith in the Lord and of love to Him; that they apply all things in the Word to themselves; and falsify it by traditions of their own invention (See Matthew 15:6-9; Mark 7:1-13). Again, what the quality of that nation in respect to their interiors has been from the beginning can be seen from the song of Moses (Deuteronomy 32), and elsewhere in many passages (See also the quotations from the Arcana Coelestia, in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 248).
Luke 4
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Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan, and was led by the Spirit into the wilderness
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for forty days, being tempted by the devil. He ate nothing in those days. Afterward, when they were completed, he was hungry.
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The devil said to him, "If you are the Son of God, command this stone to become bread."
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Jesus answered him, saying, "It is written, 'Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God.'"
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The devil, leading him up on a high mountain, showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time.
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The devil said to him, "I will give you all this authority, and their glory, for it has been delivered to me; and I give it to whomever I want.
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If you therefore will worship before me, it will all be yours."
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Jesus answered him, "Get behind me Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.'"
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He led him to Jerusalem, and set him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, cast yourself down from here,
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for it is written, 'He will put his angels in charge of you, to guard you;'
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and, 'On their hands they will bear you up, lest perhaps you dash your foot against a stone.'"
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Jesus answering, said to him, "It has been said, 'You shall not tempt the Lord your God.'"
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When the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from him until another time.
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Jesus returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee, and news about him spread through all the surrounding area.
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He taught in their synagogues, being glorified by all.
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He came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up. He entered, as was his custom, into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read.
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The book of the prophet Isaiah was handed to him. He opened the book, and found the place where it was written,
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"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim release to the captives, recovering of sight to the blind, to deliver those who are crushed,
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and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."
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He closed the book, gave it back to the attendant, and sat down. The eyes of all in the synagogue were fastened on him.
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He began to tell them, "Today, this Scripture has been fulfilled in your hearing."
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All testified about him, and wondered at the gracious words which proceeded out of his mouth, and they said, "Isn't this Joseph's son?"
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He said to them, "Doubtless you will tell me this parable, 'Physician, heal yourself! Whatever we have heard done at Capernaum, do also here in your hometown.'"
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He said, "Most certainly I tell you, no prophet is acceptable in his hometown.
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But truly I tell you, there were many widows in Israel in the days of Elijah, when the sky was shut up three years and six months, when a great famine came over all the land.
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Elijah was sent to none of them, except to Zarephath, in the land of Sidon, to a woman who was a widow.
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There were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet, yet not one of them was cleansed, except Naaman, the Syrian."
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They were all filled with wrath in the synagogue, as they heard these things.
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They rose up, threw him out of the city, and led him to the brow of the hill that their city was built on, that they might throw him off the cliff.
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But he, passing through the midst of them, went his way.
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He came down to Capernaum, a city of Galilee. He was teaching them on the Sabbath day,
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and they were astonished at his teaching, for his word was with authority.
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In the synagogue there was a man who had a spirit of an unclean demon, and he cried out with a loud voice,
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saying, "Ah! what have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know you who you are: the Holy One of God!"
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Jesus rebuked him, saying, "Be silent, and come out of him!" When the demon had thrown him down in their midst, he came out of him, having done him no harm.
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Amazement came on all, and they spoke together, one with another, saying, "What is this word? For with authority and power he commands the unclean spirits, and they come out!"
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News about him went out into every place of the surrounding region.
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He rose up from the synagogue, and entered into Simon's house. Simon's mother-in-law was afflicted with a great fever, and they begged him for her.
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He stood over her, and rebuked the fever; and it left her. Immediately she rose up and served them.
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When the sun was setting, all those who had any sick with various diseases brought them to him; and he laid his hands on every one of them, and healed them.
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Demons also came out from many, crying out, and saying, "You are the Christ, the Son of God!" Rebuking them, he didn't allow them to speak, because they knew that he was the Christ.
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When it was day, he departed and went into an uninhabited place, and the multitudes looked for him, and came to him, and held on to him, so that he wouldn't go away from them.
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But he said to them, "I must preach the good news of the Kingdom of God to the other cities also. For this reason I have been sent."
