103. And hast not failed, signifies so far as they could. This is evident from the signification of "not failing," in reference to those who are eager for the knowledges of truth and good, as being so far as they could; for in what now follows, a life according to these knowledges is treated of. Those who are in a life according to these go forward and do not fail; but those who are as yet in knowledges alone, go forward as far as they can, but do not yet have the light of life, from which is vigor.

95. Verse 1. To the angel of the Ephesian church write, signifies for remembrance to those within the church who are in knowledges of truth and good from the Word. This is evident from the signification of "writing," as being for remembrance (Arcana Coelestia 8620). It means to those within the church who are in the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, because these are meant by the "angel of the Ephesian church." That these are meant is evident from the things written to the angel of that church. What is meant by the angel of each church can be known only from the internal sense of the things written to each church. It is said, "from the internal sense," since all things in Revelation are prophetic, and things prophetic can be explained only by the internal sense. Who that reads the Prophets does not see that there are arcana therein that are more deeply hidden than the plain meaning of the letter? And since these arcana cannot be seen by the merely natural man, those who account the Word holy pass those things by that they do not understand, saying that there is a hidden meaning therein that is unknown to them, and that some call mystical. That this is the spiritual of the Word is known by some, because they think of the Word as being in its bosom spiritual for the reason that it is Divine. Nevertheless, it has been unknown heretofore that this is the spiritual sense of the Word, and that the Word is understood in this sense by angels, and that by means of this sense there is conjunction of heaven with the man of the church (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 303-310). Those who are in the knowledges of truth and good from the Word are meant by the "angel of the Ephesian church," because by the knowledges of truth and good are meant the doctrinals of the church, and only from the Word can doctrinals be obtained. Why it is said, "To the angel of the church, write," and not, To the church, may be seen above (n. 92).