327. Saying, Worthy art Thou to open ¹ the book and to loose the seals thereof, signifies that the Lord from the Divine Human has omnipotence and omniscience. This is evident from all that precedes; for the subject treated of up to this point is that the Lord from the Divine Human has omnipotence and omniscience, and that judgment, therefore, belongs to Him. That this is meant by "worthy art Thou to open the book and to loose the seals thereof" is clear from the series of the things explained from the beginning of this chapter to the present verse, which I will here present in their order, as follows: "I saw in the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne," signifies the Lord in respect to omnipotence and omniscience n. 297; "a book written within and on the back, sealed with seven seals," signifies the states of the life of all in heaven and on earth altogether hidden (n. 299, 300); "I saw a strong angel proclaiming with a great voice, Who is worthy to open the book and to loose the seals thereof?" signifies exploration whether there is anyone such that he may know and perceive the state of the life of all (n. 302, 303); "no one was able, in heaven nor upon the earth nor under the earth, to open the book," signifies that no one from himself can do this at all n. 304; "behold the Lion that is from the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, hath overcome to open the book and to loose the seven seals thereof," signifies the Lord [as able to do this] because from His own power He subjugated the hells and reduced all things in the heavens to order, and this by Divine good united to Divine truth in His Human (n. 309, 310); "I saw a Lamb standing, having seven horns and seven eyes," signifies the Lord in respect to the Divine Human, that from it He has omnipotence and omniscience (n. 314, 316, 317); "and He came and took the book out of the right hand of Him that sat upon the throne," signifies that these things are from His Divine Human (n. 319). From this it is now clear that here "worthy art Thou to take the book and to loose the seals thereof," signifies that the Lord from the Divine Human has omnipotence and omniscience.

Notas de rodapé:

2449. That 'He overthrew those cities' means that all truths were separated from them so that they might possess falsities alone is clear from the meaning of 'cities' as matters of doctrine, and so as truths, for truths make up matters of doctrine, dealt with in 402, 2268, 2428. These are said to be 'overthrown' when falsities stand in place of truths, here when all truths have been separated from them, as well as all goods - goods too being dealt with in this verse, since the subject is the final state of those inside the Church who are governed by falsities and evils.

[2] This also is what their state comes to be, which, so that the nature of it may be known, must be described briefly. All who enter the next life are taken back to a life similar to that which they were leading during their lifetime., Then in the case of the good evils and falsities are separated so that the Lord may raise these people up by means of goods and truths into heaven; but in the case of the evil goods and truths are separated so that those evil ones may be carried away by means of evils and falsities into hell, see 2119, in exact accord with the Lord's words in Matthew,

To him who has, it will be given, so that he may have more abundantly; but from him who has not, even what he has will be taken away. Matthew 13:12.

And elsewhere in the gospel,

To everyone who has, it will be given, so that he may have in abundance; but from him who has not, it will be taken away. Matthew 25:29; Luke 8:18; 19:24-26; Mark 4:24-25.

The same is meant by the following words which appear in Matthew,

Let both grow together until the harvest; and at the time of harvest I will tell the reapers, Gather the weeds first and bind them in bundles to burn them, but gather the wheat into my barn. The harvest is the close of the age. Just as the weeds are gathered and burned with fire, so will it be at the close of the age. Matthew 13:30, 39-40.

The same point is made in the description of the net thrown into the sea gathering fish of various kinds, and how after that the good were sorted into vessels while the bad were thrown away; and this is how it will be at the close of the age, Matthew 13:47-50. What 'the close' is and that for the Church it entails events like these, see 1857, 2243.

[3] The reason why evils and falsities are separated in the case of people who are good is that the latter may not be left suspended between evils and goods and so that they may be raised up by means of goods into heaven. And the reason why goods and truths are separated in the case of the evil is so that they do not lead the upright astray by means of any goods present with them, and so that by means of their evils they may withdraw to the evil in hell. For in the next life such is the communication of all ideas comprising thought, and of all affections, that goods are communicated with the good, and evils with the evil, 1388-1390. Consequently unless separation took place countless harmful things would result, in addition to the fact that association together would not otherwise be possible. Yet all things are associated together in a very wonderful way, in heaven according to all the variations of love to the Lord and of mutual love, and consequently of faith, 685, 1394, and in hell according to all the variations of evil desires and of delusions resulting from these, 695, 1322. It should be recognized however that separation does not mean complete removal, for nothing anybody has once possessed is totally removed from him.