256. It has been said above, that "the seven churches," which are here written to, mean not seven churches, but all who are of the church, and in an abstract sense all things of the church. That this is so can be seen from this, that "seven" signifies all persons and all things, and that by names things are meant. That the things written to these seven churches mean all who are of the church, or all things of the church, can be seen also from the explanation of all the things written to them. For all things of the church have reference to these four ¹ generals, namely, Doctrine: A life according to doctrine: Faith according to life: these three are treated of in what is written to six of the churches; Doctrine, in what is written to the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna; a life according to doctrine, in what is written to the churches in Thyatira and Sardis; and Faith according to life, in what is written to the churches in Philadelphia and Laodicea; and since doctrine cannot be implanted in the life and come to be of faith unless man combats against the evils and falsities, which he has by heredity, that combat also is treated of in what is written to the church in Pergamos; for there Temptations are treated of, and temptations are combats against evils and falsities. (That temptations are there treated of, see above, n. 130; that doctrine is treated of in what is written to the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna, see above, 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 in Philadelphia and Laodicea, n. 203 and 227.) Since what is written to this last church, that in Laodicea, treats of those who are in the doctrine of faith alone, and near the end treats also of the faith of charity, it should be added to what has been said, that love makes heaven, and because it makes heaven it also makes the church; for all the societies of heaven, and they are innumerable, as well as all within each society, are arranged according to the affections of love; so that it is affection or love according to which all things are arranged in the heavens, and not one person has his place according to faith. Spiritual affection or love is charity; it is evident, therefore, that no one can ever enter heaven if he is not in charity.

Footnotes:

2954. 'I will give the price of the field, accept it from me' means redemption as regards the truths of the Church which come from the Lord. This is clear from the meaning of 'giving the silver' as redeeming by means of truth, dealt with above in 2937, for 'silver' means truth, 1551; from the meaning of 'the field' as the Church, and also the doctrine of truth, dealt with in 368, 2936; and from the meaning of 'accept it from me' as a willing response with those who belong to the Church. That response involves a belief that redemption comes from the Lord alone. As for what redemption is, it is the same as reformation and regeneration, and therefore being delivered from hell and being saved. The redemption, or reformation and salvation, of members of the spiritual Church is effected by means of truth, whereas that of members of the celestial Church is effected by means of good.

[2] The reasons why have been stated in various places already - that spiritual people possess no will at all for what is good, but instead have been provided with an ability to understand what good is. The understanding of what is good is primarily called truth, and indeed the truth of faith, while the willing of it and from this the doing of it is called good. Spiritual persons therefore, by means of an understanding of good, or what amounts to the same, by means of truth, are led on to a will for what is good, or what amounts to the same, to good. They are not led on to any will for what is good from anything that is their own, since all will for what is good has with them been destroyed, 895, 927, 2124. Instead they are led on to a new will which they receive from the Lord, 863, 875, 1023, 1043, 1044; and when they have received this new will they specifically are called the redeemed.