Verse 12. And yet the corrupted man is made aware that truth from the Lord had always been clearly revealed to him, and that he had received the perception,

90. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches. That this signifies those who receive goods and truths from the Lord, is evident from the signification of the seven stars, as denoting all goods and truths from the Lord (concerning which, see above, n. 72); and from the signification of angels, as being those in the heavens who are in similar correspondent good and truth with those who are in the church on earth, concerning which more will be said in what follows; and from the signification of seven churches, as denoting all who are in truths from good, or in faith from charity, thus all who belong to the church (concerning which, see above, n. 20). From these considerations taken together, it follows as a conclusion, that these words, "the seven stars are the angels of the seven churches," signify all those who receive goods and truths from the Lord. The reason why by angels are here signified those who are in similar correspondent good and truth in heaven with those who are in the church on earth, is, that the whole of heaven is distinguished into societies, and the societies are arranged in order according to the affections of good and truth, in general and in particular. These societies correspond to those on earth that are in similar affections of good and truth; these societies collectively are called angels, and each one is called an angel; a society also, when it is seen from afar, and when it is presented so as to be seen as one, is seen as one angel (as may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 62, 68-72).

Moreover there is a universal correspondence of heaven with the church, or of the angels of heaven with the men of the church; by this correspondence heaven makes one with the church. From these considerations it is clear what is here signified by the angels of the seven churches, and in the following chapter by the angel of each church, where it is said, Write to the angel of the church of Ephesus, to the angel of the church of Smyrna, to the angel of the church of Pergamos, to the angel of the church of Thyatira, to the angel of the church in Sardis, to the angel of the church in Philadelphia, and to the angel of the church in Laodicea.

It is quite clear that the command was not to write to angels, but to churches, thus to those who are in such good and truth from the Lord, who are described by each church, concerning whom we shall treat in the following pages. (That by an angel in the Word nothing else is meant but good and truth which are from the Lord with angels and men, will be more fully shown in the following pages; in the mean time the reader may consult what is said and shown concerning the heavens and the angelic societies, in the work, Heaven and Hell, since without some knowledge thence concerning those things, what is said in the following pages respecting angels can be but little understood; for knowledge must precede, in order that the understanding may be enlightened.