Apocalypse Revealed (Coulsons) n. 949

Previous Number Next Number Next Translation See Latin 

949. [verse 12] 'And behold I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, rendering to everyone according as his work shall be' signifies that the Lord is certainly going to come, and that He Himself is heaven and the happiness of eternal life, to each one in accordance with faith in Him and a life in accordance with His precepts. 'I am coming quickly' signifies that He is certainly going to come, that is, to effect the judgment and to establish a New Heaven and a New Church. That 'quickly' means certainly may be seen (n. 4, 943, 944, 947). 'My reward is with Me' signifies that the Lord Himself is heaven and the happiness of eternal life. That the 'reward' is heaven and eternal happiness may be seen (n. 526). That it is the Lord Himself will be seen below. 'Rendering to everyone according to his work' signifies in accordance with conjunction with the Lord by means of faith in Him and by means of a life in accordance with His precepts. The reason why these things are signified is because by 'good works' are signified charity and faith in internal things and at the same time the effect of them in external things. And because charity and faith are from the Lord and in accordance with conjunction with Him it is plain that they are signified. Thus also these things cohere with the former statements. That good works are charity and faith in internal things and at the same time the effect of them in external things may be seen above (n. 641, 868, 871). [2] That charity and faith are not from man but from the Lord is known; and because they are from the Lord they are in accordance with conjunction with Him, and conjunction with Him is effected by means of faith in Him and by a life in accordance with His precepts. By faith in Him is understood confidence that He will save, and they have this confidence who approach Him directly and flee from evils as sins; with others it cannot be given. It was said that 'My reward is with Me' signifies that He Himself is heaven and the happiness of eternal life, for the 'reward' is the inward blessedness that is called peace, and external joy exists from this. These are solely from the Lord, and the things that are from the Lord are not only from Himself but also are Himself, for the Lord cannot send forth anything from Himself unless it is Himself; for He is omnipresent with each individual man in accordance with conjunction, and conjunction is in accordance with reception, and reception is in accordance with love and wisdom, or if you will, in accordance with charity and faith, and charity and faith is in accordance with the life, and the life is in accordance with turning away from evil and untruth, while turning away from evil and untruth is in accordance with the cognition of what is evil and untruth, and then in accordance with repentance and at the same time looking to the Lord. [3] That the 'reward' is not only from the Lord but also is the Lord Himself is plain from the places in the Word where it is said that those who are conjoined with Him are in Himself and Himself in them, as can be established in John (xiv 20-24; xv 4, 5 seq.; xvii 19, 21, 22, 26), and elsewhere, as may be seen above (n. 883); and also where it is said that the Holy Spirit is in them; and the Holy Spirit is the Lord for it is His Divine presence; and also when prayer is made that God may dwell in them, teach them, lead them, the tongue to preach and the body to do what is good, besides other similar things. For the Lord is Love Itself and Wisdom Itself. These two are not in a place, but are where they are being received and in accordance with the quality of the reception. But this arcanum cannot be understood except by those who are in wisdom derived from the reception of light out of heaven from the Lord. For the benefit of these are the things that have been written in two works, the one concerning DIVINE PROVIDENCE and the other concerning DIVINE LOVE AND WISDOM, in which it has been demonstrated that the Lord Himself is in men in accordance with the reception, and not anything Divine separated from Him. The angels are in this idea when they are in the idea of Divine Omnipresence, and I have no doubt that some Christians also can be in a similar idea.


This page is part of the Writings of Emanuel Swedenborg

© 2000-2001 The Academy of the New Church