256. It was said above, that by the seven churches here written to, are not meant seven churches, but all those who belong to the church, and, in the abstract, all things of the church; that this is the case is evident from the consideration, that by seven are signified all, and all things, and that by the names are signified things. That all who belong to the church, or all things of the church, are meant by what is written to those seven churches is also evident from the explanation of those things. For all things of the church have reference to the following four general principles, doctrine, life according to it, faith according to life. These are treated of in what is written to six of the churches - doctrine, to the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna; life according to doctrine, to the churches in Thyatira and Sardis; and faith according to life, to the churches in Philadelphia and Laodicea. And because doctrine cannot be implanted in man's life and become a matter of faith unless he fights against the evils and falsities which he possesses from heredity, therefore that combat is also treated of in what is written to the church in Pergamos; for the subject there treated of is temptations; and temptations are combats against evils and falsities.

(That temptations are treated of in what is written to the church in Pergamos may be seen above, n. 130; that doctrine is the subject treated of in what is written to the churches in Ephesus and Smyrna may be seen above also, n. 93, 95, 112; that a life according to doctrine is treated of in what is written to the churches in Thyatira and Sardis, (n. 150, 182, and that faith according to life is treated of in what is written to the churches of Philadelphia and Laodicea, n. 203 and 227.) Because in what is written to this last church, namely, that in Laodicea, those who are in the doctrine of faith alone are treated of, and also, at the end, the nature of faith originating in charity, to what has already been said, it is here to be added, that love constitutes heaven; and because it does so, it also forms the church. For all the societies of heaven, which are innumerable, are arranged according to the affections of love, and also all within each society; so that it is affection, or love, according to which all things are arranged in the heavens, and not in any case faith alone. Spiritual affection, or love, is charity. It is therefore clear that no one can ever enter heaven unless he is in charity.

113. These things saith the first and the last. That this signifies the Lord, who rules all things from the Divine Human, from primaries by means of ultimates, is evident from the signification of the first and the last, when said of the Lord, as being His ruling all things from primaries by means of ultimates (concerning which see above, n. 41). That it is the Lord as to the Divine Human, who, in this passage and those that follow, speaks to the angels of the churches, is evident from the preceding chapter, in which similar things are said concerning the Son of man; and the Son of man is the Lord as to the Divine Human (as may be seen above, n. 63). This becomes quite clear when the passages are compared; for in the preceding chapter the Son of man is described as being seen "in the midst of the golden lampstands, having in his right hand seven stars" (verses 13, 16). The same things are premised in what is written to the angel of the church of Ephesus, in these words,

"These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden lampstands" (verse 1, of this chapter).

[2] In the preceding chapter the Son of man is thus described:

"I am the first and the last; I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive unto the ages of the ages" (Verses 17, 18).

These things are here premised in what is written to the angel of the church of the Smyrnaeans, in these words:

"These things saith the first and the last, who was dead and is alive" (Verse 8).

In the preceding chapter, the Son of man is thus described:

"Out of his mouth went a sharp two-edged sword" (Verse 16),

which is also premised in what is written to the angel of the Church in Pergamos, in these words:

"These things saith he who hath the sharp two-edged sword" (Verse 12).

In the preceding chapter, the Son of man is described as having eyes like a flame of fire, and feet like to fine brass as if they burned in a furnace (Verses 14, 15). These things are premised in what is written to the angel of the church of Thyatira, in these words:

"These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet like fine brass" (Verse 18).

[3] Similar things are premised in what is written to the angels of the other three churches, of which we shall treat in the following chapter. From these considerations it is evident, that it is the Son of man who says the things which are written to the churches. And because by the Son of man is meant the Lord as to the Divine Human (as was shown above, n. 63), it follows that all the things written to the churches are from the Divine Human of the Lord; and hence it also follows, that the Divine Human is the All in all of the church, as it is the All in all of heaven. Here, also, by his being styled the First and the Last, is signified that the Lord from His Divine Human rules all things from primaries by means of ultimates. (That the Lord as to the Divine Human is the All in all of heaven, may be seen in the work, Heaven and Hell 7-12, and n. 78-86, and other places. And because the Lord is the All in all of heaven, He is also the All in all of the church, for the church is the kingdom of the Lord on the earth.) This I can assert, that no one within the church who does not acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, can enter into heaven. To acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, is to think of His Divine when His Human is thought of. The reason why He should thus be thought of, is, because the whole heaven is from His Divine Human (as may be seen explained in the work, Heaven and Hell, from beginning to end. See also above, n. 10, 49, 52, 82).