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There's an old saying that says, "When the student is ready the master will appear." The idea is that the student must incorporate everything they've already been taught into their life before the next master will come to teach them the next steps. We see something similar in the Word, where Jesus opens the eyes of Peter, James and John to a new spiritual reality, but now they have a difficult time trying to synthesize what they've just been taught with everything they've always believed. (note - Todd offers his apologies for an error; where he mistakenly says in this audio that the "spiritual serves the natural"... he meant to say, "natural serves the spiritual.")

(References: Apocalypse Explained 64, 405; Arcana Coelestia 6394; Matthew 17:14-20, 17:24-27)

60. Verses 12-16. And I turned to see the voice which spoke with me. And having turned, I saw seven golden lampstands, and in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about at the paps with a golden girdle. And His head and hairs white as white wool, as snow; and His eyes as a flame of fire. And His feet like unto burnished brass, as if glowing in a furnace; and His voice as the voice of many waters. And having in His right hand seven stars; and out of His mouth a sharp two-edged sword going forth; and His face as the sun shineth in his power.

12. "And I turned to see the voice which spoke with me" signifies the understanding illustrated (n. 61); "and having turned I saw seven golden lampstands," signifies a new heaven and a new church, which are in the good of love (n. 62).

13. "And in the midst of the seven lampstands one like unto the Son of man," signifies the Lord, from whom is the All of heaven and of the church (n. 63); "clothed with a garment down to the foot," signifies Divine truth proceeding from Him (n. 64); "and girt about at the paps with a golden girdle," signifies Divine good likewise (n. 65).

14. "And His head and hairs white," signifies His Divine in firsts and in ultimates (n. 66); "as white wool, as snow," signifies in respect to good and truth therein (n. 67); "and His eyes as a flame of fire," signifies Divine Providence from His Divine Love (68).

15. "And His feet like unto burnished brass, as if glowing in a furnace, signifies the ultimate of Divine order, which is the natural [full of Divine Love] (n. 69, 70); "and His voice as the voice of many waters," signifies Divine truth in ultimates (n. 71).

16. "And having in His right hand seven stars," signifies all knowledges of good and truth from Him (n. 72); "and out of His mouth a sharp two-edged sword going forth," signifies the dispersion of all falsities by the Word (n. 73); "and His face as the sun shineth in his power" signifies His Divine Love, from which are all things of heaven (n. 74).