813. Here is the patience and the faith of the saints. This signifies that these are the things by means of which temptation takes place, and afterwards the implantation of truth from good among those who are made spiritual by the Lord, is evident from the signification of the patience of the saints, of which we shall speak presently; and from the signification of faith, as denoting the implantation of truth; and from the signification of saints, as denoting those who are in truths from good from the Lord (concerning which see above, n. 204). Thus those who are made spiritual by the Lord are meant; for man is made spiritual by means of truths from good.

The reason why faith signifies the implantation of truth is, that faith in man is truth acknowledged in the heart; for unless it is acknowledged in the heart it cannot be his own faith. This is why, in the Old Testament, faith is nowhere mentioned, but truth instead of it. Indeed, the ancients, among whom the church existed, had not the least notion that faith was anything else but truth. They said, indeed, that they believed in God; but they understood by this the knowledge and understanding of truths, and at the same time, the willing and doing of them, and this from the Lord. It is, therefore, evident that faith signifies the implantation of truth.

[2] The reason why the patience of the saints signifies the temptation of the faithful, or of those who are made spiritual by the Lord is, that patience signifies spiritual patience, which is patience in sustaining temptations. And those are in that patience who, in themselves, fight against the falsities that are contained in and adhere to the dogma of faith alone, confirmed by reasonings from the natural man, also from a sinister application, and thereby a falsification, of the Word. The temptations which they sustain while they fight against falsities, are meant by patience. The signification of patience in Luke is similar:

[3] "Ye shall be delivered up by parents, and brethren, and kindred, and friends; they shall also put some of you to death; yea, ye shall be hated of all, on account of my name; in your patience possess ye your souls" (21:16, 17, 19).

These words are spoken of the last time of the church, when judgment takes place. The temptations which the faithful shall then undergo on account of truths, are described by being delivered up by fathers, brethren, kindred, and friends, and by being put to death; also by being hated on account of the Lord's name. By parents, brethren, kindred, and friends, are meant those who belong to the same church, but are in evils and falsities. That these will undergo temptations are meant by being delivered up to death and being hated. Hence now the preservation of the life of truth amongst falsities, is signified by possessing their souls in patience, the soul signifying the life of truth.

[4] To the same purpose are these words:

"Those who are sowed in good land, are they who hear the Word in a simple and good heart, and retain it, and bring forth fruit in patience" (8:15).

To bring forth fruit in patience signifies to do truths and goods, although they live amongst falsities and evils, that is, amongst those who are in falsities and evils. The Lord's patience in temptations, of which He suffered the most grievous, is described in these words in Isaiah:

"He sustained exaction, and he was afflicted, yet as a lamb he opened not his mouth" (53:7).

To sustain exaction signifies temptations. To be afflicted signifies their grievousness. To open not His mouth signifies patience.

808. (Verse 9) If any man have an ear, let him hear. That this signifies reception by those who are in the understanding of truth, and thence in the perception of good, is evident from the signification of, if any one hath an ear, let him hear, as denoting him who understands and hearkens to what the Lord teaches in the Word (concerning which see above, n. 108, 180, 255). Consequently, also by these words is signified the reception of Divine truth by those who understand it. The reason why those who are in the perception of good are also denoted is, that by having an ear and hearing is signified both to understand truth and perceive goodness; to understand truth refers to thought, and to perceive good refers to affection; and both pertain to the ear or hearing. For what enters the ear passes into the sight of the understanding and also into the affection of the will, therefore by the ear and hearing are signified hearkening and obedience. Therefore by hearing any one is signified to understand, and by giving ear to any one is signified to obey, and both are meant by hearkening.

[2] As was shown above, the faith held by the general body in the church is an empty one, because it contains nothing of life from truth; it shall be briefly said here what saving faith is. Saving faith is to believe that the Lord is the Saviour of the world, and that He is the God of heaven and the God of earth, and that by His coming into the world He put Himself into the power of saving all those who receive truths from Him through the Word, and live according to them. But who those are who are able to receive truths from Him, and live according to them, was explained above (n. 803), that is, that they are those who shun evils as sins against the Word, and therefore against God. For by these means man's internal is purified, and this being purified, he is led of the Lord, and not of himself; and so far as man is led of the Lord, so far he loves truths and receives them, and also wills and does them. This faith is saving faith.

[3] By these words, "If any one hath an ear, let him hear," is meant particularly, that they should receive and believe that the Divine of the Lord is in His Human, that is, that His Human is Divine. Who can help wondering that the idea of the Divine Human of the Lord has been altogether destroyed in the Christian churches, especially among the learned there; and that no trace of it remains except among the simple? For the simple think of God as a man, and not, like the learned, as a spirit without a human form. The most ancient people, who were wiser than those of our days, had no other conception of God than as a man surrounded by radiant circles, as is clear from the writings of ancient times, and from their paintings and statues. Also all those who belonged to the church, from the time of Adam unto Abraham, Moses, and the prophets, thought of God as a man. They also saw Him under a human form, and called Him Jehovah, as is evident from the Word. And God under the human form is the Lord, as is clear from the Lord's words in John:

"Before Abraham was, I am" (8:58).

[4] That the inhabitants of this earth from early times had an idea of God-man, or of the Divine Human, is evident from their idols, also from the ideas of the Gentiles who thought and perceived interiorly, like the Africans. The same is evident from the inhabitants of almost all the earths, as may be seen in a small work concerning them. Man has such an idea of the Divine because it results from the influx of heaven. For in heaven no one can think of God except as being in a human form. If he thinks otherwise, his thought of God perishes, and he himself falls from heaven. This is because the form of heaven is the human form, and all the thought of the angels proceeds according to the form of heaven. And yet this idea of God, which is the chief of all ideas, is as it were extirpated among the learned of the world at this day; for when it is merely said that God is a man, they are unable to think it.

Hence it is that even from the first establishment of the church, they separated the Lord's Divine from His Human, from which it has come to pass that few persons when they think of the Lord, think of His Divine, but as of a man like themselves. No one, whoever he may be, who holds this idea of the Divine, can enter heaven, but is driven back as soon as he enters on the way that leads thither. This therefore is what is principally understood by "If any one hath an ear, let him hear."