Apocalypse Explained (Whitehead) n. 292

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292. And cast off their crowns before the throne, signifies humiliation, and then acknowledgment in heart that there is nothing of good from themselves, but that everything is from the Lord. This is evident from the signification of "crown," as being good and wisdom therefrom (see above, n. 272); also from the signification of "to cast off before the throne," that is to lay down there, as being to acknowledge from humiliation that this is not from oneself but from the Lord alone; for "to cast off" is to renounce from oneself, and "to lay down before the throne" is to acknowledge that it is from the Lord alone. The good here signified by "crowns" is the good of love and of charity; this good flows in from the Lord alone, and is received by the angels of heaven and by the men of the church in the truths that are from the Word. Truths from the Word with angels and men are in their memory; from it the Lord calls them out and conjoins them with good so far as the angel or man is in the spiritual affection of truth, and this affection he has when he lives according to the truths from the Word. Conjunction is effected in the interior or spiritual man, and from that in the exterior or natural man. This conjunction makes the church with man while he lives on the earth, and afterwards makes heaven with him; from which it is clear that without such conjunction no one can be saved; also that there is no conjunction of good and truth unless the man is living the life of love; to live the life of love is to do the Lord's commandments, for to love is to do, since what man loves that he wills and that he does, but what he does not love that he does not will and therefore does not do.


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