209. Because thou hast a little power, and hast kept my Word, and hast not denied my name. That this signifies that they have power from the Lord against evils and falsities in proportion as they cause truths from the Word to enter their life and acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, is evident from the signification of thou hast a little power, as denoting power from the Lord against evils and falsities. And because the subject treated of is those who are in the faith of charity, it is said that they have a little power, of which we shall speak presently. And from the signification of and hast kept my word, as denoting the application of truths from the Word to life; for to keep truths, or precepts signifies not only to know and perceive them, but, also to will and do them; and those who thus will and do cause the truths which they know and perceive from the Word to enter into their life (see also n. 15). And from the signification of and hast not denied my name, as being to acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, concerning which see above (n. 135).

[2] It must be known, that the two principal things that constitute the church are, to acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, and to apply truths from the Word to life; nor can any person be in the one, unless he is at the same time in the other. For all truths which enter into the life, are from the Lord, and this with those who acknowledge His Divine in His Human; for the Lord flows into all, both in the heavens and on the earth, from His Divine Human, and not from the Divine separate from the Human, nor from the Human separate from the Divine. Those therefore who in their thought separate the Divine of the Lord from His Human, and look to the Divine of the Father, not as in the Human, but as near it, or above it, thus apart from it, do not receive any influx from the Lord, nor consequently from heaven, for all those who are in the heavens acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord (concerning which see also the work, Heaven and Hell 2-12, 59-72, 78-86, and 212).

From these considerations it is evident that all truths that enter into a man's life with those who acknowledge the Divine in His Human, that is, who acknowledge the Divine Human, are from the Lord. Truths enter into a man's life when he loves them, thus when he wills them and does them; for he who loves also wills and does. In a word, truths enter into the life, when a man lives according to them from affection. The reason why those truths are from the Lord is, that the Lord flows into a man's love, and so into the truths, and thus makes these enter into his life.

[3] Something shall now be said concerning the power which man has from the Lord against evils and falsities. All the power which angels and men have is from the Lord; and in proportion as they receive the Lord, in the same proportion they have power. He who believes that power against those things is from his proprium is much deceived; for it is evil spirits, conjoined with the hells, that induce evils and thence falsities in man. Those spirits are numerous, and every one of them is conjoined with many hells, in each of which also there are many other spirits, so that no one can avert them from man but the Lord alone, for the Lord alone has power over the hells, and man has no power at all from himself or from his proprium; in proportion, therefore, as man is conjoined to the Lord by love, in the same proportion he has power.

There are two loves that reign in the heavens, and that constitute the heavens - love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour: the former is called celestial love, and the latter spiritual love. Those who are in celestial love have much power or strength, but those who are in spiritual love have little power. And because in what is written to the angel of this church those are treated of who are in love towards the neighbour, or charity, and thence in faith, which love is spiritual love, it is therefore said, Thou hast a little strength.

[4] But it must be known that all the power which angels and men have from the Lord is from the good of love; and because the good of love does not act from itself, but by means of truths, therefore all power is from the good of love by means of truths, and, with those who are spiritual, from the good of charity by means of the truth of faith. For good clothes itself with a quality by means of truths, good without truths having no quality, and where there is no quality there is neither force nor power. It is therefore evident, that all power belongs to good by means of truths, or to charity by means of faith, and none to charity without faith, nor any to faith without charity. This is what is meant by the keys given to Peter; for by Peter is meant, in the spiritual sense, truth from good from the Lord, thus faith from charity; and by the keys given to him is signified power over evils and falsities. These things were said to Peter when he acknowledged the Divine of the Lord in His Human, by which is also meant that power is given to all who acknowledge this, and who from Him are in the good of charity and thence in the truths of faith. This is evident from these words in Matthew: Jesus said to the disciples,

"Whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus answering said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in the heavens. But I say also unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens" (16:15-19).

(But concerning Peter and the keys given to him, see what was said above, n. 9; also what is shown in the small work, The Last Judgment 57; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 122; and that all power is in truth from good which is from the Lord, in the work, Heaven and Hell 228-233, 539; and in Arcana Coelestia 3091, 3387, 3563, 4592, 4933, 6344, 6423, 7518, 7673, 8281, 8304, 9133, 9327, 9410, 10019, 10182.)

200. And I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. That this signifies that they will be in Divine good and thence in Divine truth, is evident from the signification of I will confess his name, as being that they may be according to the quality of the state of their life; for by confessing, when by the Lord, is meant to grant that they may be; for what the Lord says, or confesses, concerning a man or an angel who is in the good of love and faith, He grants and provides, because all the good of love and faith is from Him. This is why to say, in the Word, when said of the Lord, signifies to instruct, to enlighten and provide (see Arcana Coelestia 5361, 6946, 6951, 7019, 8095, 10234, 10290). That by name is meant the quality of the state of the life, may be seen above, n. 148. It is also evident from the signification of Father, when said by the Lord, as denoting the Divine good which is in Him and from Him, which will be treated of in what follows and from the signification of angels, as denoting Divine truth, which is also from the Lord (concerning which see above, n. 130). It is therefore evident that by I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels, is signified that they will be in Divine good and in Divine truth.

[2] The reason why by Father, when it is said by the Lord, is meant the Divine good which is in the Lord and from the Lord is, that the Lord called the Divine which was in Him from conception, which was the esse of His life, His Father, to which Divine He united His Human when He was in the world.

That the Lord called this His Father is quite evident from the fact that He taught that He himself was one with the Father; as in John,

"I and my Father are one" (10:30).

Again:

"Believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father (10:38).

Again:

"He that seeth me seeth him that sent me" (12:45).

Again:

"If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also; and from henceforth ye have known him, and have seen him. Philip said unto him, Lord, show us the Father. Jesus saith, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me" (John 14:6-17).

Again:

"If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also" (8:19).

Again:

"I am not alone, because the Father is with me" (16:32).

[3] Because the Lord is one with the Father, therefore He also declares

That all things of the Father are His, and His things are the Father's (John 17:10);

That all things that the Father hath are His (John 16:15);

That the Father hath given all things into the hand of the Son (John 3:35; 13:3);

Because all things are delivered to Him by the Father, no one knoweth the Son but the Father, nor any the Father except the Son (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22); also, that no one hath seen the Father except the Son, who is in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18; 6:46); the Word was with God, and God was the Word, "and the Word was made flesh" (John 1:1, 2, 14).

From this latter passage it is also clear that they are one; for it is said, that the Word was with God, and God was the Word. It is plain, too, that the Human of the Lord was God; for it is said, and the Word was made flesh. Since then, all things of the Father are also the Lord's, and since He and the Father are one, therefore the Lord, when He ascended into heaven, said to His disciples,

"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matthew 28:18);

by which He taught that they should approach Him alone, because He alone can do all things; as He also said to them before,

"Without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).

Hence it is evident how the following words are to be understood:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6);

that is, that the Father is approached when the Lord is approached.

[4] Amongst many other reasons why the Lord so often spoke of the Father as another was this, that by Father, in the internal or spiritual sense, is meant the Divine good, and by Son, the Divine truth, each in the Lord and from the Lord; for the Word is written by correspondences, and is thus both for men and angels. The Father therefore is mentioned in order that the Divine good of the Lord may be perceived by the angels, who are in the spiritual sense of the Word; and the Son of God and the Son of man are mentioned, in order that the Divine truth in like manner may be perceived (as is evident from what has been shown in Arcana Coelestia, namely, that Father in the Word signifies good, n. 3703, 5902, 6050, 7833, 7834. That Father signifies the church as to good, thus the good of the church, and mother the church as to truth, thus the truth of the church, n. 2691, 2717, 3703, 5581, 8897. That the Lord called the Divine good which was in Him from conception, and which was the esse of life, whence His Human was derived, Father, n. 2803, 3704, 7499, 8328, 8897. That the Lord is acknowledged as the Father in heaven, because they are one, n. 15, 1729, 3690. That the Lord is also called Father in the Word, n. 2005. That the Lord is also a Father to those who are regenerating, because they receive new life from Him, and His life, n. 2293, 3690, 6492. That the Son of God, and Son of man is the Lord as to the Divine Human and as to the proceeding Divine truth, may be seen above, n. 63, 151, 166). Now, because all who are to come into heaven must be in good as well as in truth, for no man can be in the one unless he be at the same time in the other, since good is the being (esse) of truth, and truth is the manifestation (existere) of good, and as by the Father is signified the Divine good, and by angels Divine truth, both from the Lord, therefore it is said, I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Similarly in the Evangelists:

"Everyone who shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32).

"Everyone who shall have confessed me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God" (Luke 12:8).

[5] Because Father signifies the Divine good, and angels Divine truth, therefore also the Lord says,

"When the Son of man shall come in his own glory, that of the Father and of the holy angels" (Luke 9:26; Matthew 16:27).

Here the Lord calls His own glory, the glory of the Father and of the angels, for He says, in His own glory, that of the Father and of the holy angels; but in another place He says, in the glory of the Father with the angels; and in another place, in His own glory with the angels; as in Mark:

"When he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (8:38).

And in Matthew:

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him" (25:31).

To what has been said above it must be added by way of appendix, that if it be assumed as doctrine, and acknowledged, that the Lord is one with the Father, and that His Human is Divine from the Divine in Himself, light will be seen in every particular of the Word; for what is assumed as doctrine, and acknowledged from doctrine, is in light when the Word is read. The Lord also, from whom all light proceeds and who has all power, enlightens those who are in this acknowledgment. But, on the other hand, if it be assumed and acknowledged as doctrine that the Divine of the Father is something else than the Divine of the Lord, nothing will be seen in light in the Word, because the man who is in that doctrine turns himself from one Divine to another and from the Divine of the Lord, which he may see, which is effected by thought and faith, to a Divine which he cannot see; for the Lord says:

"Ye have never heard the voice of the Father, nor seen his form" (John 5:37; and also chap. 1:18);

and to believe in and love a Divine which cannot be thought of under any form is impossible.