256. It was said above, that by the seven churches here written to, are not meant seven churches, but all those who belong to the church, and, in the abstract, all things of the church; that this is the case is evident from the consideration, that by seven are signified all, and all things, and that by the names are signified things. That all who belong to the church, or all things of the church, are meant by what is written to those seven churches is also evident from the explanation of those things. For all things of the church have reference to the following four general principles, doctrine, life according to it, faith according to life. These are treated of in what is written to six of the churches - doctrine, to the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna; life according to doctrine, to the churches in Thyatira and Sardis; and faith according to life, to the churches in Philadelphia and Laodicea. And because doctrine cannot be implanted in man's life and become a matter of faith unless he fights against the evils and falsities which he possesses from heredity, therefore that combat is also treated of in what is written to the church in Pergamos; for the subject there treated of is temptations; and temptations are combats against evils and falsities.

(That temptations are treated of in what is written to the church in Pergamos may be seen above, n. 130; that doctrine is the subject treated of in what is written to the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna may be seen above also, n. 93, 95, 112; that a life according to doctrine is treated of in what is written to the churches in Thyatira and Sardis, (n. 150, 182, and that faith according to life is treated of in what is written to the churches of Philadelphia and Laodicea, n. 203 and 227.) Because in what is written to this last church, namely, that in Laodicea, those who are in the doctrine of faith alone are treated of, and also, at the end, the nature of faith originating in charity, to what has already been said, it is here to be added, that love constitutes heaven; and because it does so, it also forms the church. For all the societies of heaven, which are innumerable, are arranged according to the affections of love, and also all within each society; so that it is affection, or love, according to which all things are arranged in the heavens, and not in any case faith alone. Spiritual affection, or love, is charity. It is therefore clear that no one can ever enter heaven unless he is in charity.

150. (Verse 18) And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write. That this signifies to those of the church with whom the internal and the external, or the spiritual and natural man make one, is evident from the things written to this angel understood in the internal sense, where the subject treated of is the conjunction of the internal or spiritual man with the external or natural man, or those of the church with whom they are conjoined. Every man has an internal and an external; his internal is called the spiritual man, and the external is called the natural man. When a man is born, the external or natural man is first opened; and afterwards, as he grows up and advances towards perfection in intelligence and wisdom, the internal or spiritual man is opened. The external or natural man is opened by means of those things that a man derives from the world, but the internal or spiritual man is opened by means of those things that he derives from heaven; for the external or natural man is formed for the reception of those things that are in the world, but the internal or spiritual man, for the reception of those things that are in heaven. The things which are in the world, for the reception of which the external or natural man is formed, have reference in general to whatever pertains to civil and moral life; but the things which are in heaven, for the reception of which the internal or spiritual man is formed, have reference, in general, to all that pertains to love and faith.

[2] Because these two, the internal and external, pertain to man, and each is to be separately opened by its own means, it is evident, that unless the internal is opened by its own means, a man must remain merely natural, and that in this case his internal must remain closed. But those with whom the internal is closed, do not belong to the church; for the church is formed in man by communication with heaven, and communication with heaven is not granted to man unless his internal be opened by its own means, which all, as said above, have reference to love and faith.

It is moreover to be observed, that, with the man of the church who is regenerated by the Lord by means of the truths that are called truths of faith, and by a life according to them, the internal and external, or spiritual and natural man, are conjoined, and that this is effected by correspondences. (What is the nature of correspondences, and thence the nature of the conjunction which is thereby effected, is evident from what is shown concerning them in Arcana Coelestia, and from the extracts from that work in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 261.)

[3] Now because man does not become a member of the church before his internal or spiritual man is opened and is conjoined with the external or natural man, therefore those within the church in whom this conjunction is effected, are now treated of. For, as said above (n. 20), by the seven churches are not meant seven churches, but all those in general who belong to the Lord's church. Hence, in writing to the angel of each church, the subject treated of is those things that constitute that church; in the present case, therefore, or in what is said to the angel of the church of Thyatira, the internal and external man are treated of, and the conjunction of both in those who are within the church. (But inasmuch as it has been hitherto unknown that these two principles actually pertain to man, and that they are to be opened and conjoined in order that man may become a member of the church, and as these things cannot be described in a few words, they may be seen treated of more at large in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 36-53, and 179-182.)