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209. Because thou hast a little power, and hast kept my Word, and hast not denied my name. That this signifies that they have power from the Lord against evils and falsities in proportion as they cause truths from the Word to enter their life and acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, is evident from the signification of thou hast a little power, as denoting power from the Lord against evils and falsities. And because the subject treated of is those who are in the faith of charity, it is said that they have a little power, of which we shall speak presently. And from the signification of and hast kept my word, as denoting the application of truths from the Word to life; for to keep truths, or precepts signifies not only to know and perceive them, but, also to will and do them; and those who thus will and do cause the truths which they know and perceive from the Word to enter into their life (see also n. 15). And from the signification of and hast not denied my name, as being to acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, concerning which see above (n. 135).
[2] It must be known, that the two principal things that constitute the church are, to acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, and to apply truths from the Word to life; nor can any person be in the one, unless he is at the same time in the other. For all truths which enter into the life, are from the Lord, and this with those who acknowledge His Divine in His Human; for the Lord flows into all, both in the heavens and on the earth, from His Divine Human, and not from the Divine separate from the Human, nor from the Human separate from the Divine. Those therefore who in their thought separate the Divine of the Lord from His Human, and look to the Divine of the Father, not as in the Human, but as near it, or above it, thus apart from it, do not receive any influx from the Lord, nor consequently from heaven, for all those who are in the heavens acknowledge the Divine Human of the Lord (concerning which see also the work, Heaven and Hell 2-12, 59-72, 78-86, and 212).
From these considerations it is evident that all truths that enter into a man's life with those who acknowledge the Divine in His Human, that is, who acknowledge the Divine Human, are from the Lord. Truths enter into a man's life when he loves them, thus when he wills them and does them; for he who loves also wills and does. In a word, truths enter into the life, when a man lives according to them from affection. The reason why those truths are from the Lord is, that the Lord flows into a man's love, and so into the truths, and thus makes these enter into his life.
[3] Something shall now be said concerning the power which man has from the Lord against evils and falsities. All the power which angels and men have is from the Lord; and in proportion as they receive the Lord, in the same proportion they have power. He who believes that power against those things is from his proprium is much deceived; for it is evil spirits, conjoined with the hells, that induce evils and thence falsities in man. Those spirits are numerous, and every one of them is conjoined with many hells, in each of which also there are many other spirits, so that no one can avert them from man but the Lord alone, for the Lord alone has power over the hells, and man has no power at all from himself or from his proprium; in proportion, therefore, as man is conjoined to the Lord by love, in the same proportion he has power.
There are two loves that reign in the heavens, and that constitute the heavens - love to the Lord and love towards the neighbour: the former is called celestial love, and the latter spiritual love. Those who are in celestial love have much power or strength, but those who are in spiritual love have little power. And because in what is written to the angel of this church those are treated of who are in love towards the neighbour, or charity, and thence in faith, which love is spiritual love, it is therefore said, Thou hast a little strength.
[4] But it must be known that all the power which angels and men have from the Lord is from the good of love; and because the good of love does not act from itself, but by means of truths, therefore all power is from the good of love by means of truths, and, with those who are spiritual, from the good of charity by means of the truth of faith. For good clothes itself with a quality by means of truths, good without truths having no quality, and where there is no quality there is neither force nor power. It is therefore evident, that all power belongs to good by means of truths, or to charity by means of faith, and none to charity without faith, nor any to faith without charity. This is what is meant by the keys given to Peter; for by Peter is meant, in the spiritual sense, truth from good from the Lord, thus faith from charity; and by the keys given to him is signified power over evils and falsities. These things were said to Peter when he acknowledged the Divine of the Lord in His Human, by which is also meant that power is given to all who acknowledge this, and who from Him are in the good of charity and thence in the truths of faith. This is evident from these words in Matthew: Jesus said to the disciples,
"Whom say ye that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. Then Jesus answering said unto him, Blessed art thou, Simon Bar-Jona; for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in the heavens. But I say also unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will 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 the heavens" (9; also what is shown in the small work, The Last Judgment 57; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 122; and that all power is in truth from good which is from the Lord, in the work, Heaven and Hell 228-233, 539; and in Arcana Coelestia 3091, 3387, 3563, 4592, 4933, 6344, 6423, 7518, 7673, 8281, 8304, 9133, 9327, 9410, 10019, 10182.)
209. For thou hast some power, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name, signifies that they have power from the Lord against evils and falsities, in the measure in which they make truths from the Word to be of the life, and acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human. This is evident from the signification of "having power," as being power from the Lord against evils and falsities; and as those who are in faith from charity are treated of, it is said that they "have some power" (of which presently). It is evident also from the signification of "to keep My word," as being to make truths from the Word to be of the life; for to keep truths or commandments means not only to know and perceive them but also to will and do them, that is to keep them; and those who will and do, make the truths that they know and perceive from the Word to be of their life (See also above n. 15). It is evident also from the signification of "not denying My name," as being to acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human (See above, n. 135).
[2] It should be known that there are two principal things of the church, namely, the acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine in His Human, and making the truths from the Word to be of one's life; moreover, no one can be in the one of these unless he is at the same time in the other; for all truths that are made to be of the life are from the Lord, and this is done with those who acknowledge the Divine in His Human. For the Lord flows in with all, as well in the heavens as on the earth, from His Divine Human, and not from the Divine separately. Consequently those who in their thought separate the Divine of the Lord from His Human, and look to the Divine of the Father not as in the Human but as beside it or above it, thus separated from it, receive no influx from the Lord nor thus from heaven, for all who are in the heavens acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human (See concerning this in the work on Heaven and Hell 2-12, 59-72, 78-86. From this it is clear that all truths that are made of the life are from the Lord with those who acknowledge the Divine in His Human, that is the Divine Human. Truths become of the life when man loves them, thus when he wills them and does them, for he who loves, wills and does; in a word, truths are made of the life when man from affection lives according to them. Such truths are from the Lord because the Lord flows into the love with man, and through the love into truths and thus makes them to be of the life.
[3] Something shall now be said about the power that man has from the Lord against evils and falsities. All power that angels have and also that men have is from the Lord; and the measure in which they receive the Lord is the measure of their power. He who believes that any power against evils and falsities comes from what is man's own [proprium] is greatly mistaken; for it is evil spirits, conjoined to the hells, that induce evils and falsities thence with men, and these spirits are numerous, and each one of them is conjoined to many hells, in each of which also there are many spirits, and no one except the Lord can turn these away from man, for the Lord alone has power over the hells, and man has no power at all from himself or from what is his own [proprium]; therefore man has power to the extent that he is conjoined to the Lord by love. There are two loves that reign in the heavens and constitute the heavens, namely, love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor; love to the Lord is called celestial love, and love toward the neighbor is called spiritual love. Those who are in celestial love have much power, but those who are in spiritual love have some power; and because what is written to the angel of this church, treats of those who are in love towards the neighbor, or in charity and in faith therefrom, which love is spiritual love, it is said, "Thou hast some power."
[4] But it is to be noted, that all the power that angels and men have from the Lord is from the good of love; and since the good of love does not act from itself but through truths, therefore all power is from the good of love through truths, and with those who are spiritual, from the good of charity through the truths of faith. For good takes on a quality through truths, good without truths having no quality and where there is no quality there is neither force nor power. From this it is clear, that good has all power through truths, or charity through faith, and neither charity apart from faith nor faith apart from charity has any power. This is meant also by the keys given to Peter, for "Peter" there means, in the spiritual sense, truth from good which is from the Lord, thus faith from charity; and the "keys" given to him the power over evil and falsities. These things were said to Peter when he acknowledged the Divine of the Lord in His Human; which means, that those have power who acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, and from Him are in the good of charity, and in the truths of faith. That these things were said to Peter when he acknowledged the Lord is shown in Matthew:
Jesus said to the disciples, Who say ye that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering said unto him, Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jonah; for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but My Father who is in the heavens. But I also say unto thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of the hells shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven (9; also what is shown in The small work on The Last Judgment 57, and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem 122; and that truth has all power from good, which is from the Lord, in the work on Heaven and Hell 228-233, 539, and Arcana Coelestia 3091, 3387, 3563, 4592, 4933, 6344, 6423, 7518, 7673, 8281, 8304, 9133, 9327, 9410, 10019, 10182).
209. "Quia nonnullam habes potentiam, et observasti meum verbum, et non negasti nomen meum." - Quod significet quod illis tantum potentiae a Domino sit contra mala et falsa, quantum vera ex Verbo faciunt vitae, et agnoscunt Divinum Domini in Humano Ipsius, constat ex significatione "habere potentiam" quod sit potentia a Domino contra mala et falsa; et quia agitur de illis qui in fide ex charitate sunt, dicitur quod "nonnullam habeant potentiam" (de qua sequitur); ex significatione "observare meum verbum", quod sit vera ex Verbo facere vitae, observare enim vera seu praecepta non modo significat scire et appercipere illa, Sed etiam velle et facere, seu servare illa; et qui volunt et faciunt, illi vera quae sciunt et appercipiunt ex Verbo faciunt suae vitae (videatur etiam (supra), n. 15); et ex significatione "non negare nomen meum", quod sit agnoscere Divinum Domini in Humano Ipsius (de qua supra, n. 135).
[2] Sciendum est quod duo principalia ecclesiae sint, nempe agnoscere Divinum Domini in Humano Ipsius, ac vera ex Verbo facere suae vitae; nemo etiam in uno potest esse nisi simul in altero, nam omnia vera quae fiunt vitae sunt a Domino, et hoc apud illos qui agnoscunt Divinum in Humano Ipsius: Dominus enim influit apud omnes tam in caelis quam in terris ex Divino Humano suo, et non ex Divino separato, nec ex Humano separato; quapropter qui in cogitatione sua separant Divinum Domini ab Humano Ipsius, et spectant Patris Divinum non in illo sed juxta illud aut supra illud, ita separatum, illi non recipiunt aliquem influxum a Domino, ita nec e caelo; nam omnes qui in caelis sunt, agnoscunt Divinum Humanum Domini (de qua re etiam videatur in opere De Caelo et Inferno 2-6, 7-12, 52-67, 68-72, 78-86, seq., 212). Ex his patet quod omnia vera quae fiunt vitae sint a Domino apud illos qui agnoscunt Divinum in Humano Ipsius, hoc, est, Divinum Humanum. Vera fiunt vitae quando homo amat illa, ita quando vult illa et facit illa, nam qui amat is vult et facit; verbo fiunt vitae quando homo ex affectione vivit secundum illa. Quod illa vera a Domino sint, est quia Dominus influit in amorem apud hominem, et per illum in vera, et sic facit haec vitae.
[3] Nunc aliquid dicetur de potentia quae illis est a Domino contra mala et falsa. Omnis potentia quae est angelis et quoque quae est hominibus est a Domino; et quantum illi recipiunt Dominum tantum potentiae illis est. Qui credit quod ex proprio hominis potentia sit contra illa, multum fallitur; sunt enim mali spiritus, qui conjuncti sunt infernis, qui inferunt apud homines mala et inde falsa; et illi spiritus plures sunt, et quisque conjunctus pluribus infernis, in quorum unoquovis etiam multi sunt; illos ab homine avertere non potest quam solus Dominus, solus enim Dominus potestatem habet super inferna, et prorsus nullam homo ex se seu ex suo proprio; quantum itaque homo conjunctus est Domino per amorem, tantum potentiae ei est. Sunt bini amores qui regnant in caelis et qui faciunt caelos, nempe amor in Dominum et amor erga proximum; amor in Dominum vocatur amor caelestis, et amor erga proximum vocatur amor spiritualis: illis qui in amore caelesti sunt est multa potentia, at illis qui in amore spirituali sunt est nonnulla potentia; et quia in scriptis ad Angelum hujus Ecclesiae agitur de illis qui in amore erga proximum sunt seu in charitate et inde fide sunt, qui amor est amor spiritualis, ideo dicitur "Nonnullam habes potentiam."
[4] At sciendum est quod omnis potentia quae a Domino est angelis et hominibus, sit ex bono amoris; et quia bonum amoris non ex se agit sed per vera, ideo omnis potentia est bono amoris per vera, et apud spirituales ex bono charitatis per vera fidei: bonum enim induit sibi quale per vera; nam bonum absque veris non habet quale, et ubi non quale ibi non vis aut potentia; inde patet quod omnis potentia sit bono per vera, seu charitati per fidem, ac nulla charitati absque fide, nec ulla fidei absque charitate. Hoc quoque intelligitur per claves Petro datas, per "Petrum" enim ibi in sensu spirituali intelligitur verum ex bono quod ex Domino, ita fides ex charitate, et per "claves" ei datas potentia super mala et falsa. Haec dicta sunt ad Petrum cum ille agnovit Divinum Domini in Humano Ipsius, per quod etiam intelligitur quod illis Sit potentia qui agnoscunt Divinum Domini in Humano Ipsius, et ab Ipso in bono charitatis et inde veris fidei sunt: quod illa tunc ad Petrum dicta sint, patet ab his apud Matthaeum,
Jesus dixit discipulis, "Vos quem Me dicitis esse? Respondens Simon Petrus, dixit, Tu es Christus Filius Dei viventis; tunc respondens Jesus dixit 1
ei, Beatus es Simon Bar Jona, quia caro et sanguis hoc non revelavit tibi, sed Pater meus qui est in caelis: sed et Ego tibi dico, Tu es Petrus, et super hanc petram aedificabo meam ecclesiam, et portae infernorum non praevalebunt ei; et tibi dabo claves regni caelorum" (16:15-19).
(Sed de Petro et ejus clavibus videantur quae dicta sunt supra, n. 9, et ostensa in opusculo De Ultimo Judicio 57: et in Doctrina Novae Hierosolymae, n. 122; et quod omnis potentia sit vero ex bono quod a Domino, in opere De Caelo et Inferno 228-233, 539; et in Arcanis Caelestibus, n. 3091, 3387, 3563, 4592, 4933, 6344, 2
6423, 7518, 7673, 8281, 8304, 9133, 9327, 9410, 10019, 10182.)
Footnotes:
1. The editors made a correction or note here.
2. The editors made a correction or note here.