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.

910. The measure of a man, that is, of an angel. This symbolizes the character of the New Church as being united with heaven.

A measure symbolizes the character of a thing (nos. 313, 486). A man here symbolizes the church, which is composed of people, and an angel symbolizes heaven, which is composed of angels. Therefore the measure of a man, that is, of an angel, symbolizes the character of the church as being united with heaven.

A man in the Word symbolizes intelligence and wisdom gained from the Word (no. 243), and intelligence and wisdom from the Word in a person constitute the church in him. Consequently a man in a concrete or generic sense - that is, when a society or company of people is called a man - in the spiritual sense means the church. That is why prophets were called sons of man, and why the Lord called Himself Son of Man. A son of man means a church's truth from the Word, and when applied to the Lord, it means the Word itself on which the church is founded.

An angel has three symbolic meanings: in the highest sense the Lord; in a general sense heaven or a heavenly society; and in a particular sense Divine truth. That an angel has these three symbolic meanings may be seen in nos. 5, 65, 170, 258, 342, 344, 415, 465, 644, 647, 648, 657, 718. Here the angel symbolizes the heaven with which the Lord's New Church will be united.

A church that is founded on the Word, thus on the Lord, is a church affiliated with heaven and conjoined with the Lord, as may be seen in no. 818 above. Not so a church not founded on the Lord's Word.