129. (Verses 12-17) And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write; These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, where Satan's throne is; and thou holdest fast my name, and hast not denied my faith, even in the days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you where Satan dwelleth. But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the sons of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate. Repent; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna; and I will give him a white stone, and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth.

"And to the angel of the church in Pergamos write," signifies for remembrance to those within the church who are in temptations. "These things saith he that hath the sharp two-edged sword," signifies the Lord, who alone fights in temptations.

"I know thy works," signifies love and faith; "where thou dwellest," signifies among whom he now lives; "where Satan's throne is," signifies where every kind of falsity reigns; "and thou holdest fast my name," signifies the acknowledgment of the Divine in the Human; "and hast not denied my faith," signifies constancy in truths; "even in the days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you," signifies, in that time and state when all were held in hatred who professed the Divine Human of the Lord; "where Satan dwelleth," signifies, by those who are in the doctrine of all falsities.

"But I have a few things against thee," signifies that they should take heed; "because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumblingblock before the sons of Israel," signifies those whose understanding is enlightened and who teach truths, but still love to destroy by guile those who belong to the church; "to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication," signifies in order that they may acquire evils, and the falsities therefrom.

"So hast thou also them that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitanes, which thing I hate," signifies those who separate good from truth, or charity from faith, which is against Divine order.

"Repent," signifies dissociation from them: "or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will fight against them with the sword of my mouth," signifies, if not, when visitation comes, they will be dispersed.

"He that hath an 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: "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the hidden manna," signifies, to him who conquers in temptations, the delight of heavenly love from the Divine Human of the Lord: "and I will give him a white stone," signifies wisdom and intelligence; "and in the stone a new name written, which no man knoweth saving he that receiveth," signifies the state of the interior life, which is unknown to all except those who are in it.

3886. But it should be realized that variations in heartbeat and breathing from one heaven to another are manifold and that those variations are as many as the communities there. For those variations are determined by the differing states of thought and affection from one community to another, and those states are determined by the differing states of faith and love. But the general heartbeat and the general breathing of heaven is as has been described above. On yet another occasion I was allowed to observe the heartbeats of communities which belonged to the province of the back part of the head, to observe the heartbeat of each celestial community there and the heartbeat of each spiritual community. The heartbeats of the celestial communities were soundless and gentle whereas those of spiritual ones were strong and vibrating. There were five spiritual beats to every two celestial, for the heartbeat of the celestial communities flows into that of the spiritual, and in this ratio are emitted and pass into the natural creation. And marvel that it is, the speech of celestial angels is not something spiritual angels hear but something they perceive as a kind of heartbeat, the reason being that the speech of celestial angels is not intelligible to spiritual angels because it is produced through the affections which belong to love, whereas the speech of spiritual angels is produced through intellectual ideas, see 1647, 1759, 2157, 3343. And those affections belong to the province of the heart, but these ideas to that of the lungs.