306. Mij werd uit de hemel medegedeeld dat de alleroudste volken onmiddellijke openbaring hadden, omdat hun innerlijk naar de hemel gekeerd was en dat daardoor de Heer destijds in vereniging met het menselijk geslacht was, maar dat later de onmiddellijke openbaring ophield en werd opgevolgd door een middellijke openbaring door overeenstemmingen. Ook dat alle Goddelijke eredienst van het volk, dat de oudste volken opvolgde, bestond in overeenstemmingen en dat daarom hun kerken zinnebeeldige kerken werden genoemd. Want wat overeenstemming en zinnebeeld was, wist men toen nauwkeurig en ook dat alle dingen op aarde overeenstemden met geestelijke dingen in de hemel en in de kerk of, wat hetzelfde is, dat zij daarvan beelden zijn. En daarom dienden hen de natuurlijke dingen die het uitwendige van de eredienst waren als verbindingsmiddel om geestelijk te denken, dus met de engelen te denken. Nadat de wetenschap van overeenstemmingen en uitbeeldende dingen vergeten was, werd het Woord geschreven, waarin al de uitdrukkingen en eveneens de zin ervan in alle vormen, overeenstemmingen zijn en daardoor een geestelijke of innerlijke zin hebben, waarin ook de engelen zijn. Wanneer daarom de mens het Woord leest en het opvat volgens de letterlijke zin, die de uitwendige zin is, begrijpen de engelen het volgens de innerlijke of geestelijke zin. Want alle gedachten van de engelen zijn geestelijk; maar de gedachte van de mens is natuurlijk, en ofschoon de geestelijke en de natuurlijke gedachten zeer verschillend schijnen, vormen zij toch een geheel, daar zij overeenstemmen. Daarom werd, toen de mens zich van de hemel afwendde en de band verbrak, een nieuw middel tot verbinding door de Heer verschaft, namelijk het Woord.

92. APOCALYPSE. CHAPTER 2.

1. To the angel of the Ephesian Church write: These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand; He that walketh in the midst of the seven golden lampstands;

2. I know thy works, and thy toil, and thy endurance, and that thou canst not bear the evil, and hast tried them that say that they are apostles, and they are not, and hast found them liars;

3. And hast borne and hast endurance, and for My name's sake hast toiled, and hast not failed.

4. But I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first charity.

5. Be mindful, therefore, of whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do the first works; but if not, I will come unto thee quickly, and will move thy lampstand out of its place, except thou repent.

6. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate.

7. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life, which is in the midst of the paradise of God.

8. And to the angel of the church of the Smyrneans write: These things saith the First and the Last, who was dead and is alive:

9. I know thy works, and affliction, and poverty, but thou art rich; ¹ and the blasphemy of them who say that they are Jews, and they are not, but are a synagogue of Satan.

10. Fear not the things which thou art to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have affliction ten days: be thou faithful even till death, and I will give thee the crown of life.

11. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death.

12. And to the angel of the church in Pergamum write: These things saith He that hath the sharp two-edged sword,

13. I know thy works, and where thou dwellest, where Satan's throne is; and thou holdest My name, and didst not deny My faith, even in the days wherein Antipas was my faithful martyr, who was slain among you, where Satan dwelleth.

14. But I have against thee a few things: that thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to cast a stumbling-block before the sons of Israel, to eat idol-sacrifices, and to commit whoredom.

15. So thou also hast then that hold the doctrine of the Nicolaitans, which thing I hate.

16. Repent; or else I will come to thee quickly, and will fight against thee with the sword or My mouth.

17. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh, to him will I give to eat of the hidden manna; and will give him a white stone, and upon the stone a new name written, which no one knoweth except he that receiveth.

18. And to the angel of the church in Thyatira write: These things saith the Son of God, that hath His eyes as a flame of fire, and His feet like burnished brass.

19. I know thy works and charity, and ministry and faith, and thine endurance, and thy works, and the last to be more than the first.

20. But I have against thee a few things; that thou, sufferest the woman Jezebel, that calleth herself a prophetess, to teach and to seduce My servants to commit whoredom, and to eat idol-sacrifices.

21. And I gave her time that she might repent of her whoredom; and she repented not.

22. Behold, I cast her into a bed, and those that commit adultery with her into great affliction, except they repent of their works.

23. And her sons I will kill with death; and all the churches shall know that I am He that searcheth the reins and hearts; and I will give to each one of you according to your works.

24. But unto you I say, and unto the rest in Thyatira, as many as have not this doctrine, and who have not known the depths of Satan, as they say; I put upon you no other burden.

25. Nevertheless, that which ye have, hold fast till I come.

26. And he that overcometh and keepeth My works unto the end, I will give him power over the nations.

27. And he shall rule them with an iron rod; as earthen vessels shall they be shivered, as I also have received from My Father.

28. And I will give him the morning star.

29. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

In the preceding pages it has been told what is meant by the "seven churches" and by the "angels" thereof; namely, by the "seven churches" all who are in truths from good, and by the "seven angels" all in heaven that correspond to them (See n. 20, 90); and since heaven and the church make one by correspondence, it is said in what follows, "To the angel of the church, write," and not, Write to the church. It is so said for this reason also, that there must be correspondence in order that the church may be a church with man; if there were no correspondence, there would be no communication of heaven, thus no heaven, with man; and if heaven were not with him neither would the church be with him. (See The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 241-248. What the correspondence of the man of the church with heaven is, cannot be told in a few words, but whoever desires may be taught what it is in what is said and shown in the work on Heaven and Hell 87-115 291-310.) In a word, there is correspondence when man has become spiritual, and man becomes spiritual when he acknowledges the Divine and especially the Lord, and loves to live according to the precepts in the Word, for when he does this he is conjoined with heaven; and then the spiritual corresponds with the natural which is with him. I am aware that to many these things may seem to exceed their comprehension; but the reason is that it is not the delight of their love to know them; if it were the delight of their love, not only would they perceive them clearly, but they would also be eager to know much more of such things; for a man desires what he loves, and what he loves is his delight; moreover, whatever is loved enters both with joy and with light into the idea of the mind.

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