111. (Verses 8-11) And unto the angel of the church of the Smyrnaeans write, These things saith the first and the last, who was dead and is alive. I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty (but thou art rich); and I know the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews, and are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer. Behold the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful even unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death.

"And unto the angel of the church of the Smyrnaeans write," signifies, for remembrance to those within the church who wish to understand the Word, and do not yet understand it, and therefore as yet have but little knowledge of truth and good, which nevertheless they desire in heart. "These things saith the first and the last," signifies the Lord who rules all things from the Divine Human, from primaries by means of ultimates. "Who was dead and is alive," signifies that He is rejected, and that nevertheless eternal life is from Him.

"I know thy works," signifies love; "and tribulation," signifies anxiety from the desire of knowing truths; "and poverty (but thou art rich)," signifies acknowledgment that they know nothing of themselves; "and the blasphemy of them that say they are Jews and are not," signifies vituperation by those who think themselves to be in the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth, because they have the Word, and yet it is not so; "but are a synagogue of Satan," signifies the doctrine of all their falsities.

"Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer," signifies not to grieve on account of such persecution. "Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison," signifies that those who are in falsities from evil, will attempt to deprive them of all truth from the Word; "that ye may be tried," signifies that consequently there will be increase of the desire for truth; "and ye shall have tribulation ten days," signifies that infestation, and thence temptation, will endure for some time; "be thou faithful even unto death," signifies continuance in truths to the end; "and I will give thee a crown of life," signifies wisdom, and thence eternal happiness.

"He that hath all 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. "He that overcometh shall not be hurt of the second death," signifies that he who continues in the genuine affection for truth to the end of his life in the world, shall come into the New Heaven.

1201. That 'Sidon' means the exterior cognitions of spiritual things is clear from the fact that he is called 'Canaan's firstborn', for in the internal sense the firstborn of every Church is faith, see 352, 367. Here however, where faith does not exist because internal things are missing they are no more than exterior cognitions of spiritual things taking the place of faith, thus cognitions such as those with the Jews which are cognitions not only of the ceremonies of external worship but also of many other things belonging to that worship, such as matters of doctrine. That 'Sidon' has this meaning is also evident from the fact that Tyre and Sidon were the furthest limits of Philistia, and were in fact by the sea. 'Tyre' therefore meant interior cognitions, and 'Sidon' those which were exterior, and yet cognitions of spiritual things. This is also clear from the Word: in Jeremiah,

On the day that is coming to lay waste all the Philistines, to cut off from Tyre and Sidon every helper that remains, for Jehovah is laying waste the Philistines, the remnants of the island of Caphtor. Jeremiah 47:4.

Here 'the Philistines' stands for knowledge of the cognitions of faith and charity, 'Tyre' for interior cognitions, and 'Sidon' for cognitions of spiritual things.

[2] In Joel,

What are you to Me, O Tyre and Sidon, and all the borders of Philistia? You have taken My silver and gold, and My good and desirable treasures you have carried into your temples. Joel 3:4-5.

Here 'Tyre' and 'Sidon' clearly stand for cognitions and are called 'the borders of Philistia', for 'gold and silver' and 'good and desirable treasures' are cognitions. In Ezekiel,

The princes of the north, all of them, and every Sidonian, who have gone down with the slain ¹ into the pit. He was made to lie in the midst of the uncircumcised with those slain' by the sword, Pharaoh and all his multitude. Ezekiel 32:30, 32.

Here 'the Sidonian' stands for exterior cognitions, which when devoid of things that are internal are nothing else than facts, and it is for this reason that he is mentioned along with Pharaoh, or Egypt, who means facts. In Zechariah,

Hamath also will border on it, Tyre and Sidon, for it is exceedingly wise. Zechariah 9:2.

This refers to Damascus. 'Tyre and Sidon' stands for cognitions.

[3] In Ezekiel,

The inhabitants of Sidon and Arvad were your rowers; your wise men, O Tyre, were in you, they were your pilots. Ezekiel 27:8.

Here 'Tyre' stands for interior cognitions, and therefore her wise men are called 'pilots', while 'Sidon' stands for exterior cognitions and her inhabitants are therefore called 'rowers', for such is the relationship of interior cognitions to exterior. In Isaiah,

The inhabitants of the island are silent, O merchant of Sidon passing over the sea; they have replenished you. But on the great waters the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, was her revenue, and was the merchandise of nations. Blush, O Sidon, for the sea has spoken, the stronghold of the sea saying, I have not gone into labour, nor have I given birth, nor reared young men, nor brought up virgins. Isaiah 23:2-5.

Here 'Sidon' stands for exterior cognitions which, because they have nothing internal within them are called 'the seed of Shihor, the harvest of the river, her revenue, the merchandise of the nations', and also 'the sea, the stronghold of the sea', and 'one that does not go into labour and give birth'. What these expressions may mean could never be discerned in the literal sense, but their meaning is perfectly plain in the internal sense, as with everything else in the Prophets. Since 'Sidon' means exterior cognitions it is also referred to as the region surrounding Israel, which is the spiritual Church, Ezekiel 28:24, 26, for exterior cognitions are like a surrounding region.

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