108. Verse 7. 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 are of His church. This is evident from the signification of "He that hath an ear let him hear," as being that he who understands should hearken, or obey (that to "hear" is to understand and to do, that is, to hearken, see above, n. 14; also from the signification of "the Spirit," here the Spirit of God, as being Divine truth proceeding from the Lord (See Arcana Coelestia 3704, 5307, 6788, 6982, 6993, 7004, 7499, 8302, 9199, 9228-9229, 9303, 9407, 9818, 9820, 10330); and from the signification of "churches," as being those who are in truths from good, or in faith from charity, that is, who are of the church, for no others are of the church. These words, namely, "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith into the churches," are said to each of the churches (here to the church of Ephesus; afterwards to the church in Smyrna, verse 2:11; in Pergamum, verse 2:17; in Thyatira, verse 2:29; in Sardis, chapter Revelation 3:6; in Philadelphia, verse 3:13; and in Laodicea, verse 3:22), in order that everyone who is of the church may know that it is not knowing and understanding the truths and goods of faith, or doctrinals, or even the Word, that makes the church, but hearkening, that is, understanding and doing; for this is signified by the words "He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches." Because this makes the church and forms heaven with man, and knowing and understanding, apart from doing, does not, therefore the Lord also uses the same words in several other places:

He that hath an ear to hear let him hear (as in Matthew 11:15; 12:43; Mark 4:9, 4:23; 7:16; Luke 8:8; 14:35).

In Revelation it is added, "what the Spirit saith unto the churches;" since by this is signified what Divine truth teaches and says to those who are of the church, or what is the same, what the Lord teaches and says, for all Divine truth proceeds from Him (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 13, 133, 137, 139); for this reason the Lord did not Himself say, "what the Spirit saith," because He who spoke was the Divine truth.

[2] That knowing and understanding Divine truths does not make the church and form heaven with man, but knowing, understanding, and doing, the Lord teaches plainly in many passages; as in Matthew:

He that heareth these words of Mine and doeth them, is likened unto a prudent man, but he that heareth and doeth them not, is likened unto a foolish man (Matthew 7:24, 26).

In the same:

He that was sown upon good land, this is he that heareth the Word, and taketh heed and thence beareth fruit (Matthew 13:23).

In Luke:

Everyone that cometh to Me and heareth My words, and doeth them, I will show to whom he is like. He is like a man building a house, who laid the foundation on a rock. But he that heareth and doeth not is like a man that built a house upon the earth, without a foundation (Luke 6:47-49).

In the same:

My mother and My brethren are they who hear the Word of God and do it (Luke 8:21);

and in many other places. In these passages, "hearing" signifies simply hearing, which is knowing and understanding. "Hearing," in common discourse, has this meaning when one is said "to hear" a thing; but it means both understanding and doing when it is said "give ear to," or "hearken to," also "listen to." Moreover, those who have separated life from faith are like those of whom the Lord speaks in Matthew:

Seeing they see not, and hearing they hear not, neither do they understand (Matthew 13:13-15; Ezekiel 12:2).

6993. 'And I will be with your mouth, and teach you the things you will speak' means the Divine in every single thing that emanates from the Divine Human. This is clear from the meaning of 'being with the mouth', when said by Jehovah, as being with the things it utters ('mouth' meaning utterance, see above in 6987, 6988), and since these words are addressed to Moses, who represents the Lord in respect of the law of God in the Divine Human, 'I will be with your mouth' means the Divine in the things that emanate from the Divine Human; and from the meaning of 'teaching you the things you will speak' as emanating. For 'teaching and 'speaking' mean flowing in; but when they are used in reference to the Lord's Divine, emanating is meant. For from the Lord's Divine Human emanates Divine Truth, which is called the Holy Spirit. And since the Lord when He was in the world was Himself Divine Truth, He taught matters of love and faith. He did not do so at that time through the Holy Spirit, as He teaches in John,

The Holy Spirit was not yet because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:39.

But after the Lord had become Jehovah, that is, Divine Good, in respect of the Human also, which was after the Resurrection, He was no longer Divine Truth. This now emanated instead from His Divine Good. The fact that the Holy Spirit is Divine Truth which emanates from the Lord's Divine Human, and not any spirit or spirits existing from eternity, is plainly evident from the Lord's words in the text quoted above - 'the Holy Spirit was not yet' - as well as from the consideration that a spirit himself cannot emanate from Him, only that which is holy with a spirit, that is, something holy which emanates from the Lord and is uttered by the spirit. See also 6788.

[2] From all this it now follows that within the Lord the entire Trinity is complete; that is to say, within Him are Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and thus that there is one God, not three who, though persons distinct from one another, are said to constitute one Deity. In the Word the names Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were used in order that people might acknowledge the Lord and also the Divine within Him. For mankind was in such thick darkness, as it also is at the present day, that it could not in any other way have acknowledged anything Divine in the Lord's Human; being wholly incomprehensible to them it would have been entirely beyond belief. Furthermore the truth is that there is a Trinity, but within one, who is the Lord; and Christian Churches also acknowledge that the Trinity resides within Him in completeness. In addition the Lord explicitly taught that He was one with the Father, John 14:9-12, and that what is holy, which is spoken by the Holy Spirit, is not the Spirit's but the Lord's, in John,

The Paraclete, the Spirit of Truth, will not speak from Himself, but whatever He hears He will speak. He will glorify Me, because He will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. John 16:13-14.

The fact that 'the Paraclete' is the Holy Spirit is stated in John 14:26.