128. He that overcometh shall not be hurt by the second death, signifies that he who is steadfast in the genuine affection of truth to the end of his life in the world, shall come into the new heaven. This is evident from the signification of "overcoming," as being in reference to those who long for the knowledges of truth and good from the Word, to be steadfast in the genuine affection of truth, even to the end of life in the world. It is said "he that overcometh," because those are meant who endure spiritual temptation, which is from evils and falsities, and who fight; and "to overcome" is to resist evils and falsities, and to tame and subdue them as one's enemies. But no one overcomes unless he is steadfast in the spiritual affection of truth, even to the end of his life in the world; then the work is finished; for man remains to eternity such as he then is, namely, such as his life has been up to that point; death is what completes it. But no one is able to overcome except the Lord only. The man who supposes that he overcomes of himself, and not that it is the Lord with him that overcomes, does not overcome but succumbs; for it is spiritual faith that overcomes, and there is nothing of spiritual faith from man, but the whole of it is from the Lord. (What spiritual faith is, see in the small work on The Last Judgment, n. 33-39; and in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 108-120; and what spiritual temptation is, n. 187-201.) That "not to be hurt by the second death" is to come into the new heaven, cannot be known unless it is known what the former heaven is, and what the new heaven, which are treated of in chapter 21 of Revelation. (Something of what the "former heaven" is can be seen in The small work on The Last Judgment, n. 65-72; and what the "new heaven" is, in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem, n. 1-7.) But what is meant by the "first death" and by the "second death," also by the "first resurrection" and "second resurrection," will be told in the explanation of chapters 20 and 21, where it is said: