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206. He that openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth, and no one openeth. That this signifies the power of admitting into heaven all who are in faith from charity, and of removing from heaven all who are not, is evident from the signification of that openeth and no one shutteth, when said of the Lord, as being to admit into heaven, which will be treated of presently; and from the signification of and shutteth and no one openeth, as being to remove from heaven. The reason why the former expression denotes to admit into heaven, and the latter to remove from heaven is, that the Lord alone opens heaven to those who are admitted into it; for neither a man, a spirit, nor an angel, can do this of himself. How this is shall be explained in a few words. When a man after death is in a state in which he can be admitted into heaven, then a way opens to him which leads to the heavenly society in which he is to be. Before he is in that state, the way thither does not open to him, it being opened to him by the Lord alone; such is the introduction and admission of every one into heaven. It is similar with the evil man after death; when he is in that state in which he is to go to hell, a way opens to him leading to the infernal society in which he is to be; before he is in that state, the way thither does not open to him. The reason of this is that ways in the spiritual world appear to every one according to the intention of his thought, thus according to the affection of his love; when therefore a spirit is brought into his reigning love - for every one after death is brought into that love - there then appear ways to the society where his love reigns. It is therefore evident that love itself opens these ways; and because all the love of good and truth is from the Lord, it follows that the Lord alone opens a way to those who are admitted into heaven. But on the other hand, because all love of evil and of falsity is from the man or spirit alone, it follows that the spirit himself opens his own way to hell.
[2] (These things will be more evident from the article in the work, Heaven and Hell 545-550, where it is shown that the Lord casts no one into hell, but that it is the spirit himself who casts himself there. That ways in the spiritual world appear to every one according to the intention of his thought, thus according to the affection of his love, may be seen in the same work, n. 479, 590.) As to what concerns the hells, they are all shut, and can in no wise be opened, except by permission of the Lord; they are shut because of the evils and falsities which continually endeavour to break out thence and injure those who are in goods and truths from the Lord (concerning which circumstance see also what is said in the work, Heaven and Hell 584-592).
From these considerations it is now evident how the case is, and hence how it is to be understood that he that hath the key of David, openeth and no one shutteth and shutteth and no one openeth. The reason why heaven is opened to those who are in the faith of charity, and shut to those who are not is, that the former are here treated of (see above, n. 203), and that they who are in faith from charity are in Divine truth from the Lord, and to Divine truth from the Lord belongs all power, as was shown in some of the preceding articles.
[3] The same as is here meant by the key of David is signified by the key of Peter, concerning which it is thus written in Matthew:
"I say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven; and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth, shall be bound in the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens" (The Last Judgment 57.)
[4] The same is also meant by the words of the Lord to the rest of His disciples in Matthew:
Jesus said to the disciples, "Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven" (86).
206. He that openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth, signifies power to admit into heaven all who are in the faith of charity, and to remove from heaven all who are not. This is evident from the signification of "that openeth and no one shutteth," as being, in reference to the Lord, to admit into heaven (of which presently); and from the signification of "and shutteth and no one openeth," as being to remove from heaven. The former means to admit into heaven, and the latter to remove from heaven, because the Lord alone opens heaven to those who are admitted. This no man, spirit, or angel can do from himself. How this is shall be explained in a few words. When a man after death is in such a state that he can be admitted into heaven, there appears to him a way that leads to the heavenly society in which he is to be; until he is in this state the way thither does not appear to him; this way is opened to him by the Lord only. Such is each one's introduction and admission into heaven. The same is true of the evil man after death. When he is in the state for passing into hell, a way appears to him that leads to the infernal society in which he is to be; until he is in this state the way thither does not appear to him. The reason of this is that ways in the spiritual world appear to each one according to the intention of his thought, thus according to the affection of his love. When, therefore, a spirit has been brought into his reigning love (for everyone after death is brought into that love), then ways to the society where his love reigns appear. From this it is clear that it is love itself that opens; and as all the love of good and truth is from the Lord, it follows that the Lord alone opens the ways for those who are admitted into heaven. On the other hand, as all the love of evil and of falsity is from the man or spirit only, it follows that the spirit himself opens for himself the way to hell. (These things may be seen more clearly in the work on Heaven and Hell 545-550, where it is shown that the Lord casts no one into hell, but that it is the spirit who casts himself thither. That ways in the spiritual world appear to everyone according to the intention of his thought, thus according to the affection of his love, see in the same work, n. 479, 590.)
[2] As regards the hells, they are all shut, and can in no wise be opened except by the Lord's permission; they are shut because of the evils and falsities that are continually striving to break out from them and do harm to those who are in goods and truths from the Lord (about which see also in the work on Heaven and Hell 584-592). From this then it is clear how it is and thence how it is to be understood that, "He that hath the key of David openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth." Heaven is opened to those who are in the faith of charity, and is shut to those who are not, for those who are in the faith of charity are here treated of (See above, n. 203), and those who are in the faith of charity are in Divine truth from the Lord, and Divine truth from the Lord has all power, as was shown in the articles that immediately precede.
[3] Similar to what is here meant by the "key of David" is the signification of the "key of Peter," thus referred to in Matthew:
I say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this Rock I will build My church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail over it. And unto thee will I give the keys of the kingdom of the heavens, and whatsoever thou shalt bind on earth shall be bound in the heavens; and whatsoever thou shalt loose on earth shall be loosed in the heavens (Matthew 16:18-19).
"Peter" here, in like manner as "David," signifies in the highest sense, Divine truth proceeding from the Lord's Divine good, and in the internal sense, every truth from good that is from the Lord. The "rock" [petra] that is spoken of in the Word where Peter is mentioned, and from which Peter's name is derived, has a like signification. The Lord's twelve disciples represented all the truths and goods of the church in the complex; Peter represented truth or faith, James charity, and John the works of charity. But here Peter represented faith from charity, or truth from good which is from the Lord, because Peter here acknowledged the Lord in heart, saying:
Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering, said, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jonah; 1for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but My Father, who is in the heavens. I say unto thee, Thou art Peter, etc. (The Last Judgment 57.)
[4] There is a like meaning in the Lord's words to the rest of the disciples, in Matthew:
Jesus said to His disciples, Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven (86).
Footnotes:
1. The Latin has "Jonah"; the Greek "Bar-jonah," as found in Apocalypse Explained 209.
206. "Aperiens et nemo claudit, et claudit et nemo aperit." - Quod significet intromittendi in caelum omnes qui in fide charitatis sunt, et removendi e caelo omnes qui non sunt, constat ex significatione "aperire et nemo claudit", cum de Domino, quod sit intromittere in caelum (de qua sequitur), et ex significatione "claudere et nemo aperit", quod sit removere e caelo; quod illud sit intromittere in caelum, et hoc sit removere e caelo, est quia solus Dominus aperit caelum illis qui intromittuntur; homo, spiritus et angelus ex se non id possunt facere. Quomodo cum hoc se habet, paucis dicetur: - Quando homo post mortem in eo statu est ut possit intromitti in caelum, tunc patet illi via quae ducit ad societatem caelestem in qua erit; prius quam in eo statu est, non patet ei via illuc; haec via aperitur ei a solo Domino; talis est cuivis introductio et intromissio in caelum. Similiter fit cum homine malo post mortem: is quando in eo statu est ut in infernum iturus sit, patet ei via quae ducit ad infernalem societatem in qua erit; prius quam in eo statu est, non patet ei via illuc. Causa est, quia viae in spirituali mundo apparent cuivis secundum intentionem cogitationis ejus, ita secundum affectionem quae amoris ejus; quapropter cum spiritus redactus est ad amorem suum regnantem, quisque enim redigitur ad illum, tunc patent viae ad societatem ubi ejus amor regnat; inde constat quod ipse amor aperiat: et quia omnis amor boni et veri est a Domino, sequitur quod solus Dominus aperiat vias illis qui intromittuntur in caelum; vicissim autem, quia omnis amor mali et falsi est a solo homine seu spiritu, sequitur quod ipse spiritus aperiat sibi viam ad infernum. (Sed hoc melius constare potest ex articulo in opere De Caelo et Inferno 545-550, ubi ostensum est quod Dominus neminem in Infernum dejiciat, sed quod ipse spiritus semet. Quod viae in mundo spirituali sint cuivis secundum intentionem cogitationis ejus, ita secundum affectionem quae amoris ejus, videatur in eodem opere, n. 479, 590.)
[2] Quod inferna attinet, illa omnia sunt clausa, et nusquam aperiri possunt nisi ex permissione Domini; clausa sunt ex malis et falsis quae inde continue conantur erumpere, et damnum inferre illis qui in bonis et veris sunt a Domino (de qua re etiam videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 584-592). Ex his nunc constat quomodo fit, et inde quomodo intelligendum est, quod "habens clavem Davidis aperiat et nemo claudit, ac claudat et nemo aperit." Quod aperiatur caelum illis qui in fide charitatis sunt, et claudatur illis qui non sunt, est quia de illis hic agitur (videatur supra, n. 203), et quia illi qui in fide charitatis sunt, in Divino Vero a Domino sunt, ac Divino Vero a Domino est omnis potentia (ut in articulis qui mox praecedunt ostensum est).
[3] Simile quod hic per "clavem Davidis", etiam per "clavem Petri" significatur, de qua ita apud Matthaeum,
"Ego tibi dico, Tu es Petrus, et super hac petra aedificabo meam ecclesiam, et portae inferni non praevalebunt super illam; et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum, et quicquid ligaveris in terra erit ligatum in caelis, et quicquid solveris in terra erit solutum in caelis" (16 [18,] 19);
per "Petrum" ibi similiter ac per "Davidem" significatur in supremo sensu Divinum Verum procedens a Divino Bono Domini, ac in sensu interno omne verum a bono quod a Domino; simile etiam significatur per "petram" in Verbo, quae nominatur cum Petro et a qua Petrus ibi vocatur. Duodecim discipuli Domini repraesentabant omnia vera et bona ecclesiae in complexu, Petrus verum seu fidem, Jacobus charitatem, et Johannes opera charitatis; ibi autem Petrus repraesentabat fidem a charitate, seu verum ex bono quod a Domino, quia tunc agnovit corde Dominum, dicens,
"Tu es Christus Filius Dei Viventis: respondens Jesus dixit, Beatus Simon 1
Bar Jona, quia caro et sanguis haec tibi non retexit, sed Pater meus qui est in caelis; Ego tibi dico, tu es Petrus", etc. ([Matth. 16] vers. 16-18, seq.), (sed hanc rem videas illustratam in opusculo De Ultimo Judicio 57.)
[4] Simile etiam intelligitur per Domini verba ad reliquos discipulos, apud Matthaeum,
Jesus dixit discipulis, "Quaecunque ligaveritis in terra, erunt ligata in caelo, et quaecunque solveritis in terra, erunt soluta in caelo" (18:18);
haec dicta sunt ad discipulos, quia illi repraesentabant omnia vera et bona quae a Domino in complexu. (Quod duodecim discipuli illa repraesentaverint, sicut etiam duodecim tribus Israelis, videatur in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 2129, 3354, 3488, 3858, 6397.)
Similiter intelligitur per eos, ubi dicitur quod "Sessuri sint super duodecim thronis, et judicaturi duodecim tribus Israelis" (Matthaeus 19:28; Luca 22:30); (videatur n. 2129, 6397).
Simile etiam intelligitur per "Eliakimum" successurum Schebnae qui super domo regis, apud Esaiam,
"Dabo, dominium in manus ejus, ut sit in patrem habitatori Hierosolymae, et domui Jehudae; et dabo clavem domus Davidis super humerum ejus, ut aperiat et non claudens, et claudat nec aperiens" (22:21, 22);
per "domum regis", super qua esset, significatur ecclesia quae in vero ex bono a Domino est; per "aperite et claudere", et per "ligare et solvere", in genere intelligitur salvare (ut supra, n. 86).
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.