5.“祂就差遣使者晓谕祂的仆人约翰”表主通过天堂向那些处于源自仁及其信的生活良善之人所揭示的事。“祂就差遣使者晓谕”在灵义上表示出于天堂或主通过天堂所揭示的事。因为在圣言中，“使者”（即天使）处处表示天使天堂，在至高意义上表示主自己。这是因为天使离了天堂就无法与人说话，那里有每位天使与全体天使的结合，人人都通过这种团契说话，尽管他并未意识到这一点。因为在主眼中，天堂好像一个人，其灵魂就是主自己。因此，主通过天堂与人说话，正如人透过他的身体出于灵魂与另一人说话。这一切在与其心智的一切事物及每一个事物的结合中成就，他所说的话就在它们当中。这个奥秘三言两语无法解释清楚，部分的解释可参看《圣爱与圣智》一书。由此明显可知，“使者”（即天使）表示天堂，在至高意义上表示主。“使者”（即天使）在至高意义上之所以表示主，是因为天堂之为天堂，不是因适合天使的事物，而是因主的神性，凭此他们获得爱与智慧，甚至生命。正因如此，在圣言中，主自己也被称为“天使或使者”。综上所述，明显可知，天使不是出于自己与约翰说话，而是在天堂中间的主透过他晓谕约翰。
这些话要这样来理解：这些事已揭示给那些处于源自仁及其信的生活良善之人，因为这些人就是“约翰”所指的。主的“十二门徒”或“使徒”是指属于教会的所有处于源自良善的真理之人，从抽象意义上说，是指教会的一切事物。“彼得”是指所有处于信的人，抽象地说，是指信本身；“雅各”是指那些处于仁爱的人，抽象地说，是指仁本身；“约翰”是指那些处于源自仁及其信的生活良善之人，抽象地说，是指由此而来的生活良善本身。在福音书的圣言中，这些事物由“约翰”、“雅各”、“彼得”来表示，这一点可见于1758年伦敦出版的《新耶路撒冷及其天堂教义》（122节）这本小书。
由于源自仁及其信的生活良善构成教会，所以教会状态的奥秘通过使徒约翰被揭示出来，它们就包含在他所看到的异象中。在圣言中，凡人名、地名皆表天堂和教会的事物，这在伦敦出版的《天堂的奥秘》一书多有说明。由此可证实，“祂就差遣使者晓谕祂的仆人约翰”在灵义上表示主通过天堂向那些处于源自仁及其信的生活良善之人所揭示的事。因为仁透过信产生善行，而不是仁凭自身，或信凭自身产生善行。
5. And He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John. This symbolizes the things that have been revealed by the Lord through heaven to people who possess goodness of life arising from charity and its accompanying faith.
"He sent and signified it by His angel" means, in the spiritual sense, things that have been revealed by the Lord from heaven or through heaven. For in the Word an angel frequently means the angelic heaven, and in the highest sense the Lord Himself. That is because no angel ever speaks with a person in dissociation from heaven, for each has such a conjunction with all the rest there that everyone speaks in accord with the communion, even though the angel is not conscious of it.
In the Lord's sight, in fact, heaven is as a single person, whose soul is the Lord Himself. Therefore the Lord speaks with a person through heaven, as a person does from his soul through his body in speaking with another. And this the person does in conjunction with each and every part of his mind, at whose center are the things that he is saying. But this secret cannot be explained in a few words. We have explained it in part in Angelic Wisdom Regarding Divine Love and Wisdom.
In the highest sense the Lord is meant by an angel because heaven is not heaven in consequence of the angels' own qualities, but owing to the Lord's Divinity from which they have their love and wisdom, indeed their life. It is on this account that in the Word the Lord is Himself called an angel.
It is apparent from this that the angel did not of himself speak with John, but that the Lord did so by means of heaven through the angel.
[2] As for saying that this statement means that these things have been revealed to people who possess goodness of life arising from charity and its accompanying faith, that is because it is they who are meant by John. For by the Lord's twelve disciples or apostles are meant all in the church who possess truths arising from goodness, and in an abstract sense, all constituents of the church. By Peter are meant all who are governed by faith, and abstractly, faith itself. By James are meant those who are impelled by charity, and abstractly, charity itself. And by John are meant those who possess goodness of life arising from charity and its accompanying faith, and abstractly, the resulting goodness of life itself. That these are what are meant by John, James and Peter in the Gospels may be seen in the short work The New Jerusalem and its Heavenly Doctrine (London, 1758), no. 122.
[3] Now because goodness of life arising from charity and its accompanying faith is what forms the church, therefore it was through the apostle John that secrets were revealed concerning the state of the church, the secrets that are contained in his visions.
The fact that the names of persons and places in the Word all symbolize things having to do with heaven and the church is something we showed many times in Arcana Coelestia (The Secrets of Heaven), also published in London.
It can be seen from this that the phrase, "He sent and signified it by His angel to His servant John," means, in the spiritual sense, the things that have been revealed by the Lord through heaven to people who possess goodness of life arising from charity and its accompanying faith. For charity produces goodness through faith, and not charity by itself or faith by itself.
5. 'And He signified sending by His angel to His servant John' signifies the things that have been revealed by the Lord through heaven to those who are in the good of life derived from charity and its faith. By 'He signified sending by His angel' in the spiritual sense is understood the things that have been revealed out of heaven, or through heaven by the Lord: for everywhere in the Word by 'angel' is understood the angelic heaven, and in the supreme sense the Lord Himself. This is because no angel separated from heaven ever speaks with man, for any one there has such a conjunction with all that each angel speaks from the communion although he is not conscious of this. For heaven in the Lord's view is like One Man, whose soul is the Lord Himself. The Lord therefore speaks with man through heaven, as a man speaks with another out of his soul through his body, and this is done in conjunction with all the things and with each single thing of his mind, those that he speaks being in their midst. But this arcanum cannot be explained in a few words. It is in part explained in ANGELIC WISDOM CONCERNING DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM. It is plain from this that by 'angel' heaven is signified, and in the supreme sense the Lord. The Lord is understood by 'angel' in the supreme sense because heaven is not heaven out of the propria 1of the angels, but out of the Divine of the Lord, out of which they have love and wisdom, indeed life. It is because of this that in the Word the Lord Himself is termed 'Angel.' From these things it is plain that the angel did not speak out of himself with John, but that it was the Lord in the midst of heaven through him.
[2] By those words it is understood that these things have been revealed to those who are in the good of a life derived from charity and its faith, because these are understood by 'John.' For by the twelve disciples or apostles of the Lord all belonging to the Church who are in truths derived from good are understood, and in an abstract sense, all things of the Church; and by 'Peter' all who are in faith, and abstractly faith itself, by 'James' those who are in charity, and abstractly charity itself, and by 'John' those who are in the good of a life derived from charity and its faith, and abstractly the good of life itself therefrom. That these things are understood by 'John,' 'James,' and 'Peter' in the Word of the Evangelists may be seen in the little work, published at London in the year 1758, concerning THE NEW JERUSALEM AND ITS HEAVENLY DOCTRINE 122.
[3] Now, since the good of a life derived from charity and its faith makes the Church, therefore the arcana of the state of the Church have been revealed through the apostle John, and they are contained in his visions. That things of heaven and the Church are signified in the Word by all names of persons and places has been shown many times in the ARCANA CAELESTIA, also published at London. It can be established from these things that by 'He signified sending through His angel to His servant John' is understood in the spiritual sense the things that have been revealed by the Lord through heaven to those who are in the good of a life derived from charity and its faith; for charity works good by means of faith, and neither charity by itself nor faith by itself does this.
Footnotes:
1. The Latin word proprium (plural propria) means 'what is one's own.' Swedenborg uses it in a special sense involving 'what is of the self.
5. And He signified, sending by, His angel to His servant John, signifies the things which are revealed from the Lord through heaven to those who are in the good of life from charity and its faith. By "He signified, sending by His angel," in the spiritual sense, is meant the things which are revealed from heaven, or through heaven by the Lord: for by "angel" in the Word is everywhere meant the angelic heaven, and in the supreme sense the Lord Himself; the reason is, that no angel ever speaks with man separate from heaven; for there is such a conjunction there of each with all, that everyone speaks from the communion, although the angel is not conscious of it. For heaven in the sight of the Lord is as one man, whose soul is the Lord Himself; wherefore the Lord speaks with man through heaven, as man does from his soul through his body with another; and this is done in conjunction with all and each of the things of his mind, in the midst of which are the things which he speaks. But this arcanum cannot be unfolded in a few words. It is partly unfolded in The Angelic Wisdom concerning the Divine Love and the Divine Wisdom. Hence it is evident, that by "an angel" is signified heaven, and in the supreme sense the Lord. The reason why by "angel" the Lord is meant in the supreme sense, is, because heaven is not heaven from the things proper to the angels, but from the Divine of the Lord, from which is derived their love and wisdom, yea, their life. Hence it is that the Lord Himself is called "Angel" in the Word. From these things it is manifest that the angel did not speak from himself with John; but the Lord by means of heaven through him.
[2] By these words is meant, that they were revealed to those who are in the good of life from charity and its faith, because these are meant by "John." For by the "twelve disciples" or "apostles" of the Lord, are meant all who are of the church in truths from good; and in the abstract sense, all things of the church; and by "Peter," all who are in faith, and, abstractly, faith itself; by "James," they who are in charity, and, abstractly, charity itself; by "John," they who are in the good of life from charity and its faith, and, abstractly, the good of life itself therefrom. That these things are meant by "John," "James," and "Peter" in the Word of the evangelists, may be seen in the small work on The New Jerusalem and Its Heavenly Doctrine, published at London in the year 1758, (122).
[3] Since the good of life from charity and its faith makes the church, therefore through the apostle John were revealed the arcana concerning the state of the church which are contained in his visions. That by all the names of persons and places in the Word are signified things of heaven and the church, is shown in many places in Arcana Coelestia, also published at London. From these things it may appear, that by "He signified, sending by His angel to His servant John," is meant in the spiritual sense, what is revealed by the Lord through heaven to those who are in the good of life from charity and its faith; for charity through faith operates good, and not charity by itself, nor faith by itself.
5. "Et significavit mittens per Angelum Suum servo Suo Johanni," significat quae a Domino revelata sunt per Caelum illis qui in bono vitae sunt ex charitate et ejus fide. - Per significavit mittens per Angelum Suum," in sensu Spirituali intelligitur quae revelata sunt e Caelo, seu per Caelum a Domino: per "Angelum" enim in Verbo passim intelligitur Caelum angelicum, et in supremo sensu Ipse Dominus; causa est, quia nusquam aliquis Angelus separatus a Caelo loquitur cum homine, est enim cujusvis talis conjunctio cum omnibus ibi, ut quisque loquatur ex communione, tametsi angelus id non conscit: Caelum enim in conspectu Domini est sicut Unus Homo, cujus Anima est Ipse Dominus; quare Dominus loquitur per Caelum cum homine, sicut homo ex anima sua per corpus cum alio, et hoc fit in conjunctione cum omnibus et singulis ejus mentis, in quorum medio sunt illa quae loquitur; sed hoc arcanum non potest paucis evolvi; est quoad partem evolutum in Sapientia Angelica de Divino Amore et Divina Sapientia: inde patet, quod per "Angelum" significetur Caelum, et in supremo sensu Dominus: quod, Dominus per "Angelum" in supremo sensu intelligitur, est quia Caelum non est Caelum ex propriis Angelorum sed ex Divino Domini, ex Quo est illis amor et sapientia, imo vita; inde est, quod Ipse Dominus in Verbo dicatur "Angelus." Ex his patet, quod non Angelus ex se locutus sit cum Johanne, sed quod Dominus medio Caelo per illum. Quod per illa verba intelligatur, quod revelata sint illis qui in bono vitae sunt ex charitate et ejus fide, est quia hi per "Johannem" intelliguntur; per duodecim enim Discipulos Domini seu Apostolos, intellecti sunt omnes qui ab Ecclesia in veris ex bono sunt, et in sensu abstracto omnia Ecclesiae, et per "Petrum" omnes qui in fide sunt, et abstracte ipsa fides, per "Jacobum" illi qui in charitate sunt, et abstracte ipsa charitas, et per "Johannem" illi qui in bono vitae sunt ex charitate et ejus fide, et abstracte ipsum bonum vitae inde; quod haec per "Johannem," "Jacobum," et "Petrum," in Verbo Evangelistarum intellecta sint, videatur in Opusculo de Nova Hierosolyma et ejus Doctrina Caelesti, Londini Anno 1758 edito, 122. Nunc quia bonum vitae ex charitate et ejus fide facit Ecclesiam, ideo per Johannem Apostolum revelata sunt arcana de statu Ecclesiae, quae in visionibus ejus continentur. Quod per omnia Nomina personarum et locorum in Verbo significentur res Caeli et Ecclesiae, multis ostensum est in Arcanis Caelestibus, etiam Londini editis. Ex his constare potest, quod per "significavit mittens per Angelum Suum servo Suo Johanni," in sensu Spirituali intelligatur, quae a Domino per Caelum revelata sunt illis qui in bono vitae sunt ex charitate et ejus fide: charitas enim per fidem operatur bonum, et non charitas per se nec fides per se.