Apocalypse Explained (Whitehead) n. 202

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202. Verses 7-13. And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write, These things saith He that is Holy, He that is True He that hath the key of David, He that openeth and no one shutteth, and shutteth and no one openeth: I know thy works; behold, I have given before thee an opened door, and no one is able to shut it; for thou hast some power, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name. Behold, I will give, from the synagogue of Satan, of those saying that they are Jews and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee. Because thou hast kept the word of My endurance, I also will keep thee from the hour of temptation that is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth. Behold, I come quickly; hold fast what thou hast, that no one take thy crown. He that overcometh I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God, and he shall go out thence no more; and I will write upon him the name of My God, and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from My God, and My new name. He that hath an ear let him hear what the Spirit saith unto the churches. 7. "And to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write," signifies those of the church who are in the faith of charity (n. 203); "these things saith He that is Holy, He that is True," signifies from whom is that faith (n. 204); "He that hath the key of David," signifies who has power by means of Divine truth (n. 205); "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 (n. 206). 8. "I know thy works," signifies the life of charity (n. 207); "behold, I have given before thee an opened door, and no one is able to shut it," signifies that they will be admitted into heaven, and that to no one of such a quality will it be refused (n. 208); "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 (n. 209). 9. "Behold, I will give, from the synagogue of Satan," signifies those who are in the doctrine of faith alone, and in no charity (n. 210); "of those saying that they are Jews and are not, but do lie," signifies who believe themselves to be in truths, when yet they are in falsities (n. 211); "Behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet," signifies the state of such after death, that they will be out of heaven, and are not to be admitted (n. 212); "and to know that I have loved thee," signifies a consequent knowledge that the Lord is present in charity, and not in faith apart from charity (n. 213). 10. "Because thou hast kept the word of My endurance," signifies that they have lived according to the Lord's commandments (n. 214); "I also will keep thee in the hour of temptation that is to come upon the whole world, to try them that dwell upon the earth," signifies the time of the last judgment, when there will be visitation upon those who are in the former heaven, and that they will then be saved (n. 215). 11. "Behold, I come quickly," signifies that this is certain (n. 216); "hold fast what thou hast," signifies steadfastness in the state of faith from charity even unto the end (n. 217); "that no one take thy crown," signifies lest intelligence should perish (n. 218). 12. "He that overcometh I will make him a pillar in the temple of My God," signifies that those who are steadfast will be in Divine truth in heaven (n. 219, 220); "and he shall go out thence no more," signifies that they shall be in it to eternity (n. 221); "and I will write upon him the name of My God," signifies their quality according to the Divine truth implanted in the life (n. 222); "and the name of the city of My God, the New Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from My God," signifies the doctrine of the new church, which is in the heavens (n. 223); "and My new name," signifies that they will also acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human (n. 224). 13. "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. 225).


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