33. Everyone is capable of knowing very well that no life is possible without love of some kind, nor any type of joy whatsoever except the joy that flows out from the love. Furthermore the nature of the love determines the nature of the life and of the joy. If you took away your loves, and what amounts to the same, your desires (since these stem from love), thought would instantly perish and you would be as one dead. This I have been shown convincingly. Self-love and the love of the world present a semblance of life and of joy, but because they are absolutely contrary to true love, which is loving the Lord above all things and the neighbour as oneself, it is clear that neither of them is love but hatred. For the more anyone loves himself and the world, the more he hates his neighbour and so the Lord. Consequently true love is love to the Lord, true life is the life inherent in love from Him, and true joy is the joy of that life. The existence of more than one true love is not possible. Nor consequently is the existence of more than one true life possible which is the source of all true joy and happiness, such as angels in the heavens enjoy.

602. And when he cried, seven thunders uttered their voices.- That this signifies instruction out of heaven and perception concerning the last state of the church, is evident from the signification of uttering voices, as denoting to instruct, in the present case, to instruct out of heaven, because it is said that the seven thunders uttered; and from the signification of the seven thunders, as denoting the Divine Truth as to understanding and perception (see above, n. 273). The thunders are said to be seven, because seven signifies all things, and what is full, and is used when things holy are treated of (see above, n. 20, 24, 257, 300). The reason why it relates to the last state of the church, concerning which John was instructed out of heaven by voices like thunder, is, that that state is treated of in the present chapter, as is evident from these words (in verse 7): "In the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he is about to sound, the mystery of God shall also be consummated; as he hath declared in good tidings to his servants the prophets." And that [Divine Truth] shall still be taught in the church, before that state, which is the end, shall come, is meant by the last words of this chapter, "Thou must prophesy again over peoples, and nations, and tongues, and many kings" (verse 11). It is evident from these things, that by the seven thunders uttered their voices is signified instruction out of heaven, and perception, concerning the last state of the church.