111. Verses 8-11. And to the angel of the church of the Smyrneans write: These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead and is alive. I know thy works, and affliction, and poverty, but thou art rich; and the blasphemy of them who say that they are Jews and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan. Fear not the things which thou art to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried, and ye shall have affliction ten days: be thou faithful even till death, and I will give thee the 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 by the second death.

8. "And to the angel of the church of the Smyrneans write," signifies for remembrance to those within the church, who wish to understand the Word, but do not yet understand, and are therefore as yet but little in the knowledges of truth and good, which nevertheless they desire in heart n. 112; "These things saith the First and the Last," signifies the Lord, who governs all things from the Divine Human, from firsts by means of ultimates n. 113; "who was dead and is alive," signifies that He has been rejected, and yet eternal life is from Him (n. 114, 115).

9. "I know thy works," signifies love (n. 116); "and affliction," signifies anxiety from a longing to know truths n. 117; "and poverty, but thou art rich," signifies acknowledgment that they know nothing from themselves n. 118; "and the blasphemy of them who say that they are Jews and they are not," signifies denunciation by those who think themselves to be in the knowledges of good and truth because they have the Word, and yet are not (n. 119); "but are a synagogue of Satan," signifies doctrine of all falsities with these n. 120.

10. "Fear not the things which thou art to suffer," signifies that they should not grieve because such men persecute them (n. 121); "Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison," signifies that those who are in falsities from evil will set about to deprive them of all truth from the Word n. 122; "that ye may be tried," signifies consequent increase of longing for truth (n. 123); "and ye shall have affliction ten days," signifies that infestation and temptation therefrom will last for some time (n. 124); "be thou faithful even till death," signifies steadfastness in truths to the end (n. 125); "and I will give thee the crown of life," signifies wisdom and eternal happiness therefrom n. 126.

11. "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches," signifies that he that understands should hearken to what Divine truth proceeding from the Lord teaches and says to those who are of His church (n. 127). "He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death" signifies that he who is steadfast in the genuine affection of truth to the end of his life in the world shall come into the new heaven (n. 128).

283. Therefore, they within the church who do not acknowledge the Lord and His Divine, cannot be conjoined to God, and thus cannot have any lot with the angels in heaven; for no one can be conjoined to God but from the Lord, and in the Lord. That no one can be conjoined to God but from the Lord, the Lord teaches in John:

No one hath seen God at any time; the Only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He hath manifested Him (1:20).

In the same:

Ye have never heard the voice of the Father, nor seen His shape (5:37).

In Matthew:

No one knoweth the Father but the Son, and he to whom the Son will reveal Him (11:27).

And in John:

I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one cometh to the Father but by Me (14:6).

The reason why no one can be conjoined to God but in the Lord, is because the Father is in Him, and they are one, as He also teaches in John:

If ye know Me, ye know My Father also; He who seeth Me seeth the Father; Philip, believest thou not that I am in the Father and the Father in Me? believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me (John 14:7-11).

And in the same:

The Father and I are One; that ye may know and believe that I am in the Father and the Father in Me (John 10: 30, 38).