932. And them that have victory over the beast, signifies who have lived a life of charity, and thus have not falsified the Word. This is evident from the signification of "having victory over the beast," as being to live a life of charity; for "the beast" signifies those who are in faith separated from charity, or what is the same, those who are in faith without good works, and who live according to that faith; consequently those who do not live that faith but the faith of charity "have victory over the beast," for they fight against that faith in their life; and as they come off victors they receive the reward of victory after their life in the world. As "the beast" signifies also the confirmation from the Word of faith separate, and thus falsification of the Word, so "to have the victory over the beast" signifies also not to have falsified the Word. (That "the two beasts" of the dragon treated of in chapter 13 signify faith separated from the goods of life, also falsification of the Word to confirm that faith, may be seen above, n. 773, 815.)

[THE GOODS OF CHARITY]

As faith separated from the goods of charity, which are good works, also the faith that is from charity, have been treated of in the explanations of two preceding chapters (the twelfth and thirteenth), the goods of charity shall be treated of in the explanations of this and the following chapter. What is meant by the goods of charity or good works is at this day unknown to most in the Christian world, because of the prevalence of the religion of faith alone, which is faith separated from the goods of charity. For if only faith contributes to salvation, and goods of charity contribute nothing, the idea that these goods may be left undone has place in the mind. But some who believe that good works should be done do not know what good works are, thinking that good works are merely giving to the poor and doing good to the needy and to widows and orphans, since such things are mentioned and seemingly commanded in the Word. Some think that if good works must be done for the sake of eternal life they must give to the poor all they possess, as was done in the primitive church, and as "the Lord commanded the rich man to sell all that he had and give to the poor, and take up the cross and follow Him" (Matthew 19:21). But what is meant in the Word by good works shall be told in order in what follows.

878. And there was no more sea. This symbolically means that the outer part of the heaven composed of Christians since the church was first established was likewise dispersed, after those who were written in the Lord's Book of Life were liberated from there and saved.

A sea symbolizes the external component of heaven and the church, where the simple are, who think naturally and not much spiritually about matters connected with the church. A heaven inhabited by these is called external, as may be seen in nos. 238, 398 at the end, 403, 404, 470, 567, 659, 661. Here the sea means the outer part of the heaven composed of Christians from the first establishment of the church. However, the inner part of the heaven of Christians was not fully formed by the Lord until shortly before the Last Judgment, and also after it, as may be seen from chapters 14 and 15, which have that heaven as their subject, and from chapter 20:4, 5, too. See the exposition in those places.

The inner part of that heaven was not fully formed sooner because the dragon and its two beasts held sway in the world of spirits, and they burned with a desire to lead astray whomever they could. It would have been dangerous, therefore, to gather together those Christians into a heaven beforehand.

The separation of the good from adherents of the dragon and the damnation of the latter, followed by their finally being cast down into hell, is the subject in many places, and lastly in chapter 19:20, and chapter 20:10. And after that we are told that "the sea gave up the dead who were in it" (chapter 20:13), which means that the external and natural people of the church were called together for judgment, as may be seen in no. 869 above, and that those who were written in the Lord's Book of Life were then liberated and saved, as indicated also in the same number. This is the sea that is meant here.

[2] We are also told elsewhere regarding the New Christian Heaven that the outer part of the heaven of Christians extended to a sea of glass mixed with fire (Revelation 15:2), and the sea there also symbolizes the outer part of the heaven of Christians. See the exposition in nos. 659-661.

It can be seen from this that there being no more sea means, symbolically, that the outer part of the heaven composed of Christians since the church was first established was likewise dispersed, after those who were written in the Lord's Book of Life were liberated from there and saved.

Regarding the outer part of the heaven composed of Christians from the first establishment of the church, I have been granted to learn many things - too many, however, to present them here. I will say only that the previous heavens which passed away at the time of the Last Judgment were permitted for the sake of those Christians who were in that outer part of heaven or sea, because they were conjoined by external concerns and not by internal ones - on which subject something may be seen in no. 398 above.

The heaven where external people of the church dwell is called a sea because their dwelling place in the spiritual world appears from a distance as being in a sea. For celestial angels, or angels of the highest heaven, dwell as though in an ethereal atmosphere. Spiritual angels, or angels of the intermediate heaven, dwell as though in an airy atmosphere. And spiritually natural angels, or angels of the lowest heaven, dwell as though in a watery atmosphere, which, as we said, from a distance looks like a sea.

For this reason the outer part of heaven is meant by the sea also in many other places in the Word.