8. [verse 3] 'Blessed is he who reads, and they who hear the words of this prophecy, and keep the things that are written therein' signifies their fellowship with the angels of heaven, who live according to the doctrine of the New Jerusalem. By 'blessed' is here understood one who as to the spirit is in heaven; in this manner he is in fellowship with the angels of heaven while living in the world, for he is in heaven in regard to the spirit. By 'the words of the prophecy' is understood nothing else than the doctrine of the New Jerusalem, for by 'a prophet' in an abstract sense is signified the Doctrine of the Church out of the Word, thus here the Doctrine of the new Church that is the New Jerusalem. By 'prophecy' something similar is understood. By 'to read, hear and keep the things that are written therein' is signified to wish to know that doctrine, to turn to the things that are there, and to do the things that are there, in short to live according to it. It is plain that they are not blessed who only read, hear, and keep or retain in the memory the things that were seen by John; see below (n. 944). [2] The reason why by 'a prophet' is signified the Doctrine of the Church out of the Word, and by 'prophecy' something similar, is because the Word was written by means of prophets, and in heaven a person is regarded from what pertains to his office and function. From this also every man, spirit and angel is named there. Therefore when a prophet is mentioned, the Word as to Doctrine, or the Doctrine out of the Word, is understood, because the prophetic function has been to write and teach the Word. Resulting from this, the Lord because He is the Word Itself has been termed 'Prophet'; Deut. xviii 15-20; Matt. xiii 57, xxi 11; Luke xiii 33. So that it may be known that by 'a prophet' is understood the Doctrine of the Church out of the Word, some passages will be adduced from which this can be gathered. In Matthew:-
In the consummation of the age many false prophets shall rise up, and shall lead many astray: there shall arise false Christs and false prophets, and they shall if possible lead the elect into error Matt. xxiv 11, 24.
The 'consummation of the age' is the last time of the Church, and this is now, when there are not false prophets but untruths of doctrine. [3] In the same:-
Whoever shall support a prophet in the name of a prophet, shall get a prophet's reward, and whoever shall support a just man in the name of a just man, shall get a just man's reward Matt. x 41.
'To support a prophet in the name of a prophet' is to receive the truth of doctrine because it is true, and 'to support a just man in the name of a just man' is to receive good for the sake of good, and 'to get a reward' is to be saved in accordance with the reception. It is plain that no one receives a reward or is saved because he has supported a prophet and a just man in the name of such. Without knowing what a prophet and a just man [signify] those words cannot be understood by any one, nor can those that follow:
That whosoever shall give to drink to one of these little ones as much as a drink of cold [water] in the name of a disciple, shall not lose a reward [Matt. x 42].
By 'a disciple' is understood charity and at the same time faith, from the Lord. [4] In Joel:-
I will pour out My spirit upon all flesh so that your sons and your daughters shall prophesy Joel ii 28 [H.B. iii 1].
This concerns the Church that was to be restored by the Lord, in which they did not prophesy but received doctrine, which is 'to prophesy'. In Matthew:-
Jesus said, Many will say unto Me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied by means of Thy Name? but then I will confess unto them, I have not known you; depart from Me you that work iniquity Matt. vii 22, 23.
Who does not see that they are not going to say that they have prophesied, but that they have known the Doctrine of the Church, and taught it? In the Apocalypse:-
The time is come for judging the dead, and giving a reward to the prophets Rev. xi 18;
and in another place:-
Exult O heaven, O holy apostles and prophets, for God has judged your judgment Rev. xviii 20.
It is plain that rewards are not to be given only to prophets, and that not only apostles and prophets are going to exult when the last judgment is about to take place, but all who have received the truths of doctrine, and lived in accordance with them; and so these are understood by 'apostles' and 'prophets'. [5] In Moses:-
Jehovah said unto Moses, I have set thee up as God to Pharaoh, and Aaron thy brother shall be to thee a prophet Exod. vii 1.
By 'God' is understood the Divine Truth as to reception from the Lord, in which sense the angels also are called 'gods', and by 'a prophet' is understood one teaching and speaking this truth. It is in consequence of this that Aaron is there termed a 'prophet'. The like is signified by 'prophet' elsewhere, as in these passages:-
The law shall not perish from the priest, nor the Word from the prophet Jer. xviii 18.
From the prophets of Jerusalem hypocrisy has gone forth into all the land Jer. xxiii 15, 16.
The prophets shall become wind, and there is no word in them Jer. v 13.
The priest and the prophet err through strong drink, they are swallowed up of wine, they stumble in judgment Isa. xxviii 7.
The sun sets over the prophets, and the day grows black over them Micah iii 6.
From the prophet even unto the priest, each one makes falsehood Jer. viii 10.
[6] In the spiritual sense in these passages by 'prophets' and 'priests' are not understood prophets and priests, but the entire Church, by 'prophets' the Church as to the truth of doctrine, and by 'priests' the Church as to the good of life, both of which had been destroyed. These things are understood in this manner by angels in heaven, while by men in the world they are understood in accordance with the sense of the letter. That the prophets represented the state of the Church as to doctrine, and the Lord as to the Word Itself, may be seen in THE DOCTRINE OF THE NEW JERUSALEM CONCERNING THE LORD (n. 15-17).
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