'A volume' or 'roll,' as in Zechariah 5:2, signifies the curse going forth upon the faces of the whole earth. 'A roll of a book written within and without,' as in Ezekiel 2:9-10 and 3:1-3, signifies the state of the church and thus the quality of life of the people at that time.

(References: Apocalypse Explained 222)

149. (Verses 18-29) And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass. I know thy works, and charity, and ministry, and faith, and thy endurance, and thy works, and the last to be more than the first. But I have a few things against thee, because thou sufferest that woman Jezebel, who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach, and to seduce my servants to commit whoredom and to eat things sacrificed unto idols. And I gave her time to repent of her whoredom; and she repented not. Behold, I cast her into a bed, and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation, except they repent of their deeds. And I will kill her sons with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he who searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give unto every one of you according to his works. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they speak, I put upon you none other burden. Nevertheless, that which ye have, hold fast until I come. And he that overcometh and keepeth my works even unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations. And he shall rule them with a rod of iron; as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken in pieces, even as I received of my Father. And I will give him the morning star. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

"And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write:" signifies, those of the church with whom the internal and external, or the spiritual and natural man, make one: "These things saith the Son of God," signifies the Lord as to the Divine Human, from which that quality of the church is derived: "who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire," signifies the Divine Providence from His Divine love, and Divine wisdom and intelligence communicated to those who are in love, and thence in faith towards Him; "and his feet like fine brass," signifies the ultimate of Divine order, which is the Natural, full of Divine love.

"I know thy works, and charity," signifies the internal of those who belong to the church; "and ministry and faith," signifies good and truth therein; "and thy endurance," signifies conjunction with the external; "and thy works, and the last to be more than the first," signifies the externals thence derived.

"But, I have a few things against thee," signifies, that they should take heed. "Because thou sufferest that woman, Jezebel," signifies the delight of the love of self and of the world; "who calleth herself a prophetess, to teach, and to seduce my servants," signifies that thence is the doctrine of every kind of falsity; "to commit whoredom and to eat things sacrificed unto idols," signifies the falsifications of truth, and the adulterations of good.

"And I gave her time to repent of her whoredom, and she repented not," signifies that those who are thence in falsities do not turn themselves to truths and by truths.

"Behold, I cast her into a bed," signifies that they are left to their own natural man, and to the doctrine of falsities therein; "and them that commit adultery with her into great tribulation," signifies grievous temptations to those who addict themselves to their falsities; "except they repent of their deeds," signifies unless they separate themselves from them.

"And I will kill her children with death," signifies that thus falsities are extinguished. "And all the churches shall know that I am he who searcheth the reins and the hearts," signifies the acknowledgment of all who belong to the church that the Lord alone knows and explores the exteriors and interiors, also the things of faith and of love; "and I will give to every one of you according to your works," signifies, eternal blessedness according to the state of his internal in the external.

"But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira," signifies to every one with whom the internal is conjoined to the external; "as many as have not this doctrine," signifies with whom external delight, which is that of the love of self and of the world, does not rule; "and who have not known the depths of Satan as they speak," signifies entangled by these: "I will put upon you none other burden," signifies that of this alone they should take heed.

"Nevertheless, that which ye have, hold fast until I come," signifies permanence in a state of love and of faith, even to visitation.

"And he that overcometh, and keepeth my works even unto the end," signifies after combat against those loves and the removal of them, as far as possible, perseverance in love and faith; "to him will I give power over the nations," signifies over his evils, which will then be expelled by the Lord.

"And he shall rule them with a rod of iron," signifies, that he will chastise evils by means of the truths which are in the natural man: "as the vessels of a potter shall they be broken in pieces," signifies the total dispersion of falsities; "even as I received of my Father," signifies comparatively as the Lord did from His Divine when He glorified his Human. "And I will give him the morning star," signifies intelligence and wisdom from the Divine Human of the Lord.

"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.