303. THE CONJUNCTION OF HEAVEN WITH MAN BY MEANS OF THE WORD

Those who think from interior reason can see that there is a connection of all things through intermediates with the First, and that whatever is not in connection is dissipated. For they know, when they think about it, that nothing can continue in existence from itself, but from what is prior to itself, thus all things from the First; also that the connection with what is prior is like the connection of an effect with its efficient cause; for when the efficient cause is taken away from its effect then the effect is dissolved and disappears. Because the learned thought thus they saw and said that continuing in existence is a perpetual coming into existence; thus that all things perpetually come into existence from the First, from which they came into existence, that is, they continue to exist. But what the connection of everything is with that which is prior to itself, thus with the First which is the source of all things, cannot be told in a few words, because it is various and diverse. It can only be said in general that there is a connection of the natural world with the spiritual world, and that in consequence there is a correspondence of all things in the natural with all things in the spiritual world (about this correspondence see 103-115); also that there is a connection and consequently a correspondence of all things of man with all things of heaven (see also above, 87-102).

95. Verse 1. To the angel of the Ephesian church write, signifies for remembrance to those within the church who are in knowledges of truth and good from the Word. This is evident from the signification of "writing," as being for remembrance (Arcana Coelestia 8620). It means to those within the church who are in the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, because these are meant by the "angel of the Ephesian church." That these are meant is evident from the things written to the angel of that church. What is meant by the angel of each church can be known only from the internal sense of the things written to each church. It is said, "from the internal sense," since all things in Revelation are prophetic, and things prophetic can be explained only by the internal sense. Who that reads the Prophets does not see that there are arcana therein that are more deeply hidden than the plain meaning of the letter? And since these arcana cannot be seen by the merely natural man, those who account the Word holy pass those things by that they do not understand, saying that there is a hidden meaning therein that is unknown to them, and that some call mystical. That this is the spiritual of the Word is known by some, because they think of the Word as being in its bosom spiritual for the reason that it is Divine. Nevertheless, it has been unknown heretofore that this is the spiritual sense of the Word, and that the Word is understood in this sense by angels, and that by means of this sense there is conjunction of heaven with the man of the church (See in the work on Heaven and Hell 303-310). Those who are in the knowledges of truth and good from the Word are meant by the "angel of the Ephesian church," because by the knowledges of truth and good are meant the doctrinals of the church, and only from the Word can doctrinals be obtained. Why it is said, "To the angel of the church, write," and not, To the church, may be seen above (n. 92).