9373. Come up unto Jehovah. That this signifies conjunction with the Lord, is evident from the signification of “coming up,” as being to be raised toward interior things (see n. 3084, 4539, 4969, 5406, 5817, 6007), consequently also to be conjoined (n. 8760). That it denotes conjunction with the Lord, is because by “Jehovah” in the Word is meant the the Lord, (n. 1343, 1736, 1793, 2004, 2005, 2018, 2025, 2921, 3023, 3035, 5663, 6280, 6303, 6905, 8274, 8864, 9315). A secret which also lies hidden in the internal sense of these words, is that the sons of Jacob, over whom Moses was the head, were not called and chosen; but they themselves insisted that Divine worship should be instituted among them (according to wh at has been said in n. 4290, 4293); and therefore it is here said, “and He said unto Moses, Come up unto Jehovah,” as if not Jehovah, but another, had said that he should come up. For the same reason in what follows it is said that “the people should not go up” (verse 2); and that “Jehovah sent not His hand unto the sons of Israel who were set apart” (verse 11); and that “the appearance of the glory of Jehovah was like devouring fire on the top of the mountain in the eyes of the sons of Israel” (verse 17); and lastly that Moses, being called the seventh day, “entered into the midst of the cloud.” For by “the cloud” is meant the Word in the letter (n. 5922, 6343, 6752, 6832, 8106, 8443, 8781); and with the sons of Jacob the Word was separated from its internal sense, because they were in external worship without internal, as can be clearly seen from the fact that now, as before, they said, “all the words which Jehovah hath spoken we will do” (verse 3); and yet scarcely forty days afterward they worshiped a golden calf instead of Jehovah; which shows that this was hidden in their hearts while they were saying with their lips that they would serve Jehovah alone. But nevertheless those who are meant by “the called and the chosen” are those who are in internal worship, and who from internal worship are in external; that is, those who are in love to and faith in the Lord, and from this in love toward the neighbor.

200. And I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. That this signifies that they will be in Divine good and thence in Divine truth, is evident from the signification of I will confess his name, as being that they may be according to the quality of the state of their life; for by confessing, when by the Lord, is meant to grant that they may be; for what the Lord says, or confesses, concerning a man or an angel who is in the good of love and faith, He grants and provides, because all the good of love and faith is from Him. This is why to say, in the Word, when said of the Lord, signifies to instruct, to enlighten and provide (see Arcana Coelestia 5361, 6946, 6951, 7019, 8095, 10234, 10290). That by name is meant the quality of the state of the life, may be seen above, n. 148. It is also evident from the signification of Father, when said by the Lord, as denoting the Divine good which is in Him and from Him, which will be treated of in what follows and from the signification of angels, as denoting Divine truth, which is also from the Lord (concerning which see above, n. 130). It is therefore evident that by I will confess his name before my Father and before his angels, is signified that they will be in Divine good and in Divine truth.

[2] The reason why by Father, when it is said by the Lord, is meant the Divine good which is in the Lord and from the Lord is, that the Lord called the Divine which was in Him from conception, which was the esse of His life, His Father, to which Divine He united His Human when He was in the world.

That the Lord called this His Father is quite evident from the fact that He taught that He himself was one with the Father; as in John,

"I and my Father are one" (10:30).

Again:

"Believe that the Father is in me, and I in the Father (10:38).

Again:

"He that seeth me seeth him that sent me" (12:45).

Again:

"If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also; and from henceforth ye have known him, and have seen him. Philip said unto him, Lord, show us the Father. Jesus saith, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father? Believest thou not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? The Father that dwelleth in me, he doeth the works. Believe me, that I am in the Father, and the Father in me" (John 14:6-17).

Again:

"If ye had known me, ye would have known my Father also" (8:19).

Again:

"I am not alone, because the Father is with me" (16:32).

[3] Because the Lord is one with the Father, therefore He also declares

That all things of the Father are His, and His things are the Father's (John 17:10);

That all things that the Father hath are His (John 16:15);

That the Father hath given all things into the hand of the Son (John 3:35; 13:3);

Because all things are delivered to Him by the Father, no one knoweth the Son but the Father, nor any the Father except the Son (Matthew 11:27; Luke 10:22); also, that no one hath seen the Father except the Son, who is in the bosom of the Father (John 1:18; 6:46); the Word was with God, and God was the Word, "and the Word was made flesh" (John 1:1, 2, 14).

From this latter passage it is also clear that they are one; for it is said, that the Word was with God, and God was the Word. It is plain, too, that the Human of the Lord was God; for it is said, and the Word was made flesh. Since then, all things of the Father are also the Lord's, and since He and the Father are one, therefore the Lord, when He ascended into heaven, said to His disciples,

"All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth" (Matthew 28:18);

by which He taught that they should approach Him alone, because He alone can do all things; as He also said to them before,

"Without me ye can do nothing" (John 15:5).

Hence it is evident how the following words are to be understood:

"I am the way, the truth, and the life; no man cometh unto the Father but by me" (John 14:6);

that is, that the Father is approached when the Lord is approached.

[4] Amongst many other reasons why the Lord so often spoke of the Father as another was this, that by Father, in the internal or spiritual sense, is meant the Divine good, and by Son, the Divine truth, each in the Lord and from the Lord; for the Word is written by correspondences, and is thus both for men and angels. The Father therefore is mentioned in order that the Divine good of the Lord may be perceived by the angels, who are in the spiritual sense of the Word; and the Son of God and the Son of man are mentioned, in order that the Divine truth in like manner may be perceived (as is evident from what has been shown in Arcana Coelestia, namely, that Father in the Word signifies good, n. 3703, 5902, 6050, 7833, 7834. That Father signifies the church as to good, thus the good of the church, and mother the church as to truth, thus the truth of the church, n. 2691, 2717, 3703, 5581, 8897. That the Lord called the Divine good which was in Him from conception, and which was the esse of life, whence His Human was derived, Father, n. 2803, 3704, 7499, 8328, 8897. That the Lord is acknowledged as the Father in heaven, because they are one, n. 15, 1729, 3690. That the Lord is also called Father in the Word, n. 2005. That the Lord is also a Father to those who are regenerating, because they receive new life from Him, and His life, n. 2293, 3690, 6492. That the Son of God, and Son of man is the Lord as to the Divine Human and as to the proceeding Divine truth, may be seen above, n. 63, 151, 166). Now, because all who are to come into heaven must be in good as well as in truth, for no man can be in the one unless he be at the same time in the other, since good is the being (esse) of truth, and truth is the manifestation (existere) of good, and as by the Father is signified the Divine good, and by angels Divine truth, both from the Lord, therefore it is said, I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. Similarly in the Evangelists:

"Everyone who shall confess me before men, him will I confess before my Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 10:32).

"Everyone who shall have confessed me before men, him shall the Son of man also confess before the angels of God" (Luke 12:8).

[5] Because Father signifies the Divine good, and angels Divine truth, therefore also the Lord says,

"When the Son of man shall come in his own glory, that of the Father and of the holy angels" (Luke 9:26; Matthew 16:27).

Here the Lord calls His own glory, the glory of the Father and of the angels, for He says, in His own glory, that of the Father and of the holy angels; but in another place He says, in the glory of the Father with the angels; and in another place, in His own glory with the angels; as in Mark:

"When he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels" (8:38).

And in Matthew:

"When the Son of man shall come in his glory, and all the holy angels with him" (25:31).

To what has been said above it must be added by way of appendix, that if it be assumed as doctrine, and acknowledged, that the Lord is one with the Father, and that His Human is Divine from the Divine in Himself, light will be seen in every particular of the Word; for what is assumed as doctrine, and acknowledged from doctrine, is in light when the Word is read. The Lord also, from whom all light proceeds and who has all power, enlightens those who are in this acknowledgment. But, on the other hand, if it be assumed and acknowledged as doctrine that the Divine of the Father is something else than the Divine of the Lord, nothing will be seen in light in the Word, because the man who is in that doctrine turns himself from one Divine to another and from the Divine of the Lord, which he may see, which is effected by thought and faith, to a Divine which he cannot see; for the Lord says:

"Ye have never heard the voice of the Father, nor seen his form" (John 5:37; and also chap. 1:18);

and to believe in and love a Divine which cannot be thought of under any form is impossible.

181. CHAPTER 3.

1. AND unto the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead.

2. Be wakeful, and strengthen the things that remain which are about to die: for I have not found thy works full before God.

3. Remember, therefore, how thou hast received and heard, and take heed and repent. If therefore thou shalt not be wakeful, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee.

4. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy.

5. He that overcometh shall be clothed in white garments and I will not blot his name out of the book of life, and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels.

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

7. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write: These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth.

8. I know thy works: behold I have set before thee an open door, and no one is able to shut it; because thou hast some power, and hast kept my word, and hast not denied my name.

9. Behold, I will give them of a synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold I will make them to come and worship at thy feet and to know that I have loved thee.

10. Because thou hast kept the word of my endurance, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation which is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth.

11. Behold, I come quickly; hold fast that thou hast, that no one take thy crown.

12. He that overcometh, I will make him a pillar in the temple of my God, and he shall go no more out, and I will write upon him the name of my God, and the name of the city of my God, the New Jerusalem, which cometh down out of heaven from my God, and my new name.

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

14. And unto the angel of the church of the Laodiceans write: These things saith the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the beginning of the creation of God:

15. I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot; I would thou wert cold or hot.

16. So, then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.

17. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked,

18. I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment, that thou mayest be clothed that the shame of thy nakedness do not appear; and anoint thine eyes with eye-salve, that thou mayest see.

19. As many as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore and repent.

20. Behold, I stand at the door, and knock; if any man hear my voice and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me.

21. To him that overcometh, I will give to sit with me in my throne, as I also overcame and am set down with my Father in his throne.

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

EXPLANATION.

VERSES 1-6. And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write: These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God, and the seven stars: I know thy works, that thou hast a name that thou livest, and art dead. Be wakeful, and strengthen the things that remain, which are about to die; for I have not found thy works full before God. Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and take heed, and repent. If therefore thou shalt not be wakeful, I will come on thee as a thief, and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee. Thou hast a few names even in Sardis, which have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy. He that overcometh shall be clothed in white garments; and I will not blot his name out of the book of life; and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches.

"And unto the angel of the church in Sardis write," signifies those whose life is moral, and not spiritual, because they make light of the knowledges (cognitiones) of spiritual things, and thence of intelligence and wisdom. "These things saith he that hath the seven spirits of God," signifies the Lord, from whom are all the truths of heaven and the church; "and the seven stars," signifies, from whom are all the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good: "I know thy works," signifies, the things of their life that thou hast a name that thou livest and art dead," signifies, the quality of their thought, in that they suppose themselves to be alive, because their life is moral, when, yet, they are dead.

"Be wakeful" signifies, that they should procure for themselves life: "and strengthen the things that remain which are ready to die," signifies, that the things of moral life should be quickened: "for I have not found thy works full before God," signifies, that otherwise the Divine is not in moral life.

"Remember therefore how thou hast received and heard, and take heed," signifies, remembrance of what the Lord teaches in the Word, and attention to it: "and repent," signifies, thus spiritual life. "If therefore thou shalt not be wakeful," signifies, if thou dost not procure spiritual life: "I will, come upon thee as a thief," signifies, an unexpected time, when all knowledges procured from the Word which have not acquired spiritual life will be taken away: "and thou shalt not know what hour I will come upon thee," signifies, ignorance of that time and their state then.

"Thou hast a few names even in Sardis which have not defiled their garments," signifies those whose life is moral from a spiritual origin, by applying the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good to the uses of their life: "and they shall walk with me in white; for they are worthy," signifies, their spiritual life, which they have by means of the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth and good from the Word.

"He that overcometh," signifies, who perseveres even until death: "shall be clothed in white garments," signifies, intelligence and wisdom according to truths and their reception: "and I will not blot his name out of the book of life," signifies, that they will be in heaven, because they are fitted for it: "and I will confess his name before my Father, and before his angels," signifies, that they shall be in Divine good and thence in Divine truth. "He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches" signifies, that he who understands should hearken to what Divine truth proceeding from the Lord teaches and says to those who belong to His church.