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94. EXPLANATION.
VERSES 1-7. Unto the angel of the Ephesian church write: These things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand, who walketh in the midst of the seven golden lampstands.
I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy endurance, and that thou canst not bear them that are evil, and hast explored them that say they are apostles and are not, and hast found them liars: And hast borne, and hast endurance, and for my name's sake hast laboured, and hast not fainted. But, I have against thee, that thou hast left thy first charity. Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent, and do the first works; or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy lampstand out of its place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate. He that hath an ear, let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches: To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
"Unto the angel of the Ephesian church write," signifies, for remembrance to those within the church who are in the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth from the Word: "these things saith he that holdeth the seven stars in his right hand," signifies, from whom are all the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth; "who walketh in the midst of the seven golden lampstands," signifies, from whom is life to all in the New Heaven and the New Church.
"I know thy works, and thy labour, and thy endurance," signifies all things that they think, will, and do, thus all things of love and faith in the spiritual and in the natural man: "and that thou canst not bear them that are evil," signifies, that they reject evils: "and hast explored them that say they are apostles and are not, and has found them liars," signifies, also falsities, as far as they can be searched out.
"And hast borne, and hast endurance," signifies, resistance against those who assault the truths of faith, and zeal in instruction: "and for my name's sake hast laboured," signifies, acknowledgment of the Lord and of the knowledges (cognitiones) of truth which refer to Him: "and hast not fainted" signifies as far as they were able.
"But, I have against thee that thou hast left thy first charity," signifies, that they do not make such a life as pertains to those who live in the beginning of the church, the essential of knowledges (cognitiones).
"Remember therefore whence thou art fallen, and repent and do the first works," signifies remembrance of former things, and hence that they have departed from the truth, and that the good of life, as at the beginning of the church, may come into mind: "or else I will come unto thee quickly, and will remove thy lampstand out of its place, except thou repent," signifies, if not, it is certain that heaven will not be given.
"But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitanes, which I also hate," signifies, aversion from the Divine in regard to those who separate good from truth, or charity from faith, from which there is no life.
"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 are of His church: "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life," signifies, that he who receives in the heart shall be filled with the good of love, and hence with heavenly joy; "which is in the midst of the paradise of God," signifies that all the knowledges (cognitiones) of good and truth in heaven and in the church look thither and proceed thence.
94. EXPOSITION.
Verses 1-7. To the angel of the Ephesian church write: These things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand; He that walketh in the midst of the seven golden lampstands; I know thy works and thy toil, and thy endurance, and that thou canst not bear the evil, and hast tried them that say, that they are apostles and they are not, and hast found them liars: and hast borne and hast endurance, and for My name's sake hast toiled, and hast not failed. But I have against thee that thou hast left thy first charity. Be mindful therefore of whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do the first works; but if not I will come unto thee quickly, and will move thy lampstand out of its place, except thou repent. But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate. He that hath an ear let him hear what the spirit saith unto the churches. To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life which is in the midst of the paradise of God.
1. "To the angel of the Ephesian church write," signifies for remembrance to those within the church who are in the knowledges of truth and good from the Word (n. 95); "these things saith He that holdeth the seven stars in His right hand," signifies from whom are all the knowledges of good and truth (n. 96); "He that walketh in the midst of the seven golden lampstands," signifies from whom is life to all in the new heaven and the new church (n. 97 [1-2]).
2. "I know thy works, and thy toil, and thy endurance," signifies all things that they think, will, and do, thus all things of love and faith in the spiritual and in the natural man n. 98; ["and that thou canst not bear the evil," signifies that they reject evils (n. 99)] and hast tried them that say they are apostles and they are not, and hast found them liars," signifies also falsities, so far as they are able to search them out n. 100.
3. "And hast borne, and hast endurance," signifies resistance against those who assail the truths of faith, and diligence in instructing (n. 101); "and for My name's sake hast toiled," signifies acknowledgment of the Lord and of the knowledges of truth that have respect to Him n. 102; "and hast not failed," signifies so far as they could (n. 103).
4. "But I have against thee that thou hast left thy first charity," signifies that they do not make such a life as those lived who were in the church at its beginning the essential of knowledges (n. 104).
5. "Be mindful therefore of whence thou hast fallen, and repent, and do the first works," signifies the remembrance of former things, and thus the remembrance of having deviated from the truth, and this in order that the good of life of the church at its beginning may come into mind n. 105; "but if not I will come unto thee quickly, and will move thy lampstand out of its place, except thou repent," signifies that if not, it is certain that heaven cannot be given (n. 106).
6. "But this thou hast, that thou hatest the works of the Nicolaitans, which I also hate," signifies an aversion, derived from the Divine, towards those who separate good from truth, or charity from faith, from which separation there is no life n. 107.
7. "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 are of His church n. 108; "To him that overcometh will I give to eat of the tree of life," signifies that he who receives in the heart shall be filled with the good of love, and with heavenly joy therefrom n. 109; "which is in the midst of the paradise of God," signifies that all knowledges of good and truth in heaven and in the church look thereto and proceed therefrom n. 110.
94. EXPLICATIO.
VERSUS 1-7.
Angelo Ephesinae Ecclesiae scribe: Haec dicit tenens septem stellas in dextra sua, ambulans in medio septem candelabrorum aureorum. Novi opera tua, et laborem tuum, et tolerantiam tuam, et quod non possis ferre malos, et exploraveris dicentes se esse apostolos, et non sunt, et inveneris eos mendaces. Et sustinuisti, et tolerantiam habes, et propter nomen meum laborasti, et non defecisti. Sed habeo adversus te, quod charitatem tuam primam reliqueris. Memor esto itaque unde excideris, et resipisce, et prima opera fac; sin minus, veniam tibi alto, et movebo candelabrum tuum de loco suo, si non resipueris. Sed hoc habes, quod odisti opera Nicolaitarum, quae et Ego odi. Habens aurem audiat quid Spiritus dicit ecclesiis: vincenti dabo illi edere de arbore vitae, quae est in medio paradisi Dei."
1. "Angelo Ephesinae Ecclesiae scribe", significat ad recordationem illis qui infra Ecclesia, in cognitionibus veri et boni ex Verbo sunt (n. 95); "Haec dicit tenens septem stellas in dextra sua", significat a quo omnes cognitiones boni et veri sunt (n. 96); "ambulans in medio septem candelabrorum aureorum", significat a quo via omnibus in novo caelo et nova ecclesia" (n. 97).
2. "Novi opera tua, et laborem tuum, et tolerantiam tuam", significat omni", quae cogitant, volunt, et faciunt, ita, omnia amoris et fidei in spirituali et naturali homine (n. 98); ("et quod non possis ferre malos", significat quod rejiciant mala, (n. 99); "et exploraveris dicentes se esse apostolos, et non sunt, ac inveneris eos mendaces", significat etiam falsa quantum possunt scrutari (n. 100).
3. "Et sustinuisti, et tolerantiam habes", significat resistentiam contra illos qui pugnant vera fidei et assiduitatem instruendi (n. 101); " (et) propter nomen meum laborasti", significat agnitionem Domini et cognitionum veri quae spectant Ipsum (n. 102); "et non defecisti", significat quousque potuerunt (n. 103).
4. "Sed habeo adversus te, quod charitatem tuam primam reliqueris", significat quod non vitam, qualis illis qui in incohante ecclesia, essentiale cognitionum faciant (n. 104).
5. "Memor esto itaque unde excideris, et resipisce, et prima opera fac", significat recordationem priorum, et inde quod deviaverint a vero, ac ut in animum veniat bonum vitae incohantis ecclesiae (n. 105); "sin minus, veniam tibi cito, et movebo candelabrum tuum e loco suo, si non resipueris", significat si non, quod certum sit non dari caelum (n. 106).
6. "Sed (hoc) habes, quod odisti opera Nicolaitarum, quae et Ego odi, significat aversationem a Divino pro illis qui separant bonum a vero, seu charitatem a fide, ex 4210 non vera (n. 107).
7. "Habens aurem audiat quid Spiritus dicit ecclesiis", significat quod qui intelligit auscultet quid Divinum Verum procedens a Domino docet et dicit illis qui ab ecclesia Ipsius sunt (n. 108); "vincenti dabo edere de arbore vitae", significat qui corde recipit, implebitur bono amoris et inde gaudio, caelesti (n. 109); "quae est in medio paradisi Dei", significat quod illuc spectent et inde procedant omnes cognitiones boni et veri in caelo et in ecclesia (n. 110).