There are two ways “brother” is used in the Bible, ways that are still reflected in modern language. One denotes an actual blood relationship; the other is a more sweeping term of commonality, in the mode of the “brotherhood of man.”
The second use is consistent throughout the Bible; according to Swedenborg its internal meaning is “those living in the love of doing what is good.” This can be on different levels, from a simple joy in obedience to the charitable love of serving others to the exalted love of the Lord himself. But all in those loves are brothers.
This is stated very well in Apocalypse Explained No. 746: “Such are called brethren because they all have one Father, that is, the Lord; and those who are in the good of love to the Lord, and in the good of charity towards the neighbour, are His sons. … (S)ince they are the sons of one Father, they are also brethren. Moreover, it is the chief commandment of the Lord the Father, that they should love one another, consequently it is love that makes them brethren…”
The case is more complicated with brothers through blood relationship; the meaning is more affected by the context of who the brothers are and the circumstances of the story. In general they reflect the unity that can exist between the desire to do good and the understanding of how to do good. This is true of Cain and Abel and several pairs of twins: Jacob and Esau, Judah’s sons Zarah and Pharez, and Joseph’s sons Ephraim and Manasseh; in each case (according to Swedenborg) one represents the desire for good and the other the understanding of truth.
Because of this brotherhood of good and truth, brothers can represent either one depending on context, and they can shift within the same story if the story is showing a changing spiritual state.
Passages from Swedenborg
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 367
367. Apart from showing that charity is the ‘brother’ of faith and that ‘field’ means all that comprises doctrine, there is no need to confirm these considerations from similar usages in the Word. That charity is the brother of faith may be clear to anyone from the very nature or essence of faith. The brother relationship between these two was also represented by Esau and Jacob, and was the reason why they struggled for the birthright and the superior position this carried with it. The relationship was also represented by Perez and Zerah, the sons Tamar had by Judah, Gen. 38:28-30, where again the question of primogeniture arises. It was represented by Ephraim and Manasseh as well, Gen. 48:13, 14, wherein a similar way the matter of the birthright and the higher position it carried occurs. And there are many other examples. Indeed these two, faith and charity, are both the offspring of the Church. Faith is called ‘a man’ (vir), as Cain is in verse 1 of this chapter, while charity is called ‘a brother’, as in Isa. 19:2; Jer. 17:14 and in other places. In Amos 1:9 the union of faith and charity is called ‘a covenant between brothers’.
[2] As has been stated, that which Jacob and Esau represented was similar to the meaning of Cain and Abel. The fact that Jacob in a similar manner wished to supplant Esau is also clear in Hosea,
He will make a visitation on Jacob over his ways and requite him according to his deeds; in the womb he supplanted his brother. Hosea 12:2, 3.
But the fact that Esau, that is, charity represented by Esau, would nevertheless be the superior is clear from the prediction made through their father Isaac,
By your sword will you live, and you will serve your brother; but when you have dominion over him you will cast away his yoke from above your neck. Gen. 27:40.
Or what amounts to the same, a gentile or new Church is represented by Esau, and the Jewish Church by Jacob. This is why it was stated so many times that they were to recognize gentile nations as brothers. Charity was also the reason for everyone being referred to as ‘a brother’ in the gentile or Primitive Church, and for the Lord calling ‘brothers’ those who hear the Word and do it, Luke 8:21. Hearers of it are those who have faith, doers those who have charity. But those who are hearers, that is, say they have faith, but are not doers, that is, have no charity, are not brothers, for the Lord likens them to the foolish, Matt. 7:24, 26.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 1007
1007. ‘At the hand of man’ means from his entire will, and ‘at the hand of brother man’ from his entire understanding. This is clear from the meaning of ‘man’ (homo), for the essential element and life of a person is his will – indeed the character of the will determines that of the person; and from the meaning of ‘brother man’ (vir), for where the understanding resides in man it is called ‘brother man’, as shown already in 367. Whether the understanding residing there is true, spurious, or false, it is still called ‘brother man’. In fact the understanding is called ‘a man’ (vir), 158, 265, and ‘the brother’ of the will, 367. The reason why a defiled will and a defiled understanding are here called ‘a man’ (homo) and ‘brother man’ (vir) is that the subject here is profanation, the mere mention and consequent representation of which is not tolerated in heaven but instantly rejected with disgust. This is why such mild expressions are employed here. The sense of the words of the verse can be taken two different ways so to speak, so as to prevent those in heaven knowing that this verse contains such matters.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2360
2360. He calls them ‘brothers’ because it was from good that he made his appeal. This is clear from the meaning of ‘brother’, for ‘brother’ in the Word has the same meaning as ‘neighbour’, the reason being that everyone ought to love his neighbour as himself. Thus ‘brothers’ were called such out of love, or what amounts to the same, from good. The origin of naming and greeting the neighbour in this way lies in heaven where the Lord is Father of all and loves all as His children; and so love is spiritual conjunction. From this the whole of heaven resembles so to speak one family born from love and charity, 685, 917.
[2] All the children of Israel therefore, since they represented the Lord’s heavenly kingdom, that is, the kingdom of love and charity, were among themselves called ‘brothers’ and also ‘companions’, though they were called ‘companions’ not from the good of love but from the truth of faith, as in Isaiah,
Every one helps his companion and says to his brother, Be firm. Isa. 41:6.
In Jeremiah,
Thus shall you say, every one to his companion and every one to his brother, What has Jehovah answered? and what has Jehovah spoken? Jer. 23:35.
In David,
For my brothers’ and my companions’ sakes I will say. Peace be within you! Ps. 122:8.
In Moses,
He shall not press his companion and his brother, because Jehovah’s release has been proclaimed. Deut. 15:2, 3.
In Isaiah,
I will confound Egypt with Egypt, and they will fight, every one against his brother, and every one against his companion. Isa. 19:2.
In Jeremiah,
Take heed, every one, of his companion and put no trust in any brother, for every brother will supplant wholly, and every companion will utter slanders. Jer. 9:4.
[3] The fact that all belonging to that Church were called by the one name ‘brothers’ may be seen in Isaiah,
They will bring all your brothers from all nations as an offering to Jehovah, on horses, and in chariots, and in covered wagons, and on mules, and on dromedaries, to My holy mountain, Jerusalem. Isa. 66:20.
People, like the Jews, who know nothing beyond the sense of the letter believe that none else are meant than the descendants of Jacob, and also that those descendants will be brought back to Jerusalem on horses, and in chariots, and in covered wagons, and on mules by those whom they call the gentiles. But the word ‘brothers’ is used to mean all who are governed by good, ‘horses, chariots, and wagons’ to mean the things that belong to truth and good, and ‘Jerusalem’ the Lord’s kingdom.
[4] In Moses,
When there is a needy person among you, one of your brothers, within one of your gates, you shall not harden your heart nor shut your hand against your needy brother. Deut. 15:7, 11.
In the same author,
From among your brothers shall you set a king over you; you may not place over you a foreigner, who is not your brother. And his heart shall not be lifted up above his brothers. Deut. 17:15, 20.
In the same author,
Jehovah your God will raise up for you from the midst of you, from your brothers, a prophet like me; Him shall you obey. Deut. 18:15, 18.
[5] From these quotations it is evident that the Jews and Israelites all called one another brothers, but allies they called companions. But because they discerned nothing beyond the historical and worldly descriptions of the Word they consequently believed that they called one another brothers because they were all children of one forefather, namely Abraham. They were not called brothers in the Word for this reason however but from the good which they represented. Furthermore ‘Abraham’ in the internal sense means nothing else than love itself, that is, the Lord, 1893, 1965, 1989, 2011, whose sons who therefore are brothers – are those who are governed by good, all those in fact who are called ‘the neighbour’, as the Lord teaches in Matthew,
One is your Master, Christ, and all you are brothers. Matt. 23:8.
[6] In the same gospel,
Whoever is angry with his brother without cause will be liable to judgement; whoever says to his brother, Raca! will be liable to the Sanhedrin. If you offer your gift on the altar and there remember that your brother-has something against you, leave the gift there before the altar, go away and first be reconciled to your brother. Matt. 5:22-24.
In the same gospel,
Why do you notice the speck which is in your brother’s eye? How will you say to your brother, Let me cast the speck out of your eye? Matt. 7:2-4.
In the same gospel,
If your brother sins against you, go and rebuke him, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. Matt. 18:15.
In the same gospel,
Peter came and said to Him, Lord, how many times shall my brother sin against me and I ought to forgive him? Matt. 18:21.
In the same gospel,
So also My heavenly Father will do to you if you from your hearts do not forgive – everyone his brother’s trespasses. Matt. 18:35.
[7] From all this it is plain that all men everywhere, being the neighbour, are called brothers. They are called ‘brothers’ because everyone ought to love the neighbour as himself, so that they are called such from love or good. And because the Lord is Good itself and views everyone from good, and is Himself the Neighbour in the highest sense of all, He Himself refers to them as ‘brothers’, as in John,
Jesus said to Mary, Go to My brothers. John 20:17.
And in Matthew,
The king will answer them and say, Truly I say to you, insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matt. 25:40.
From this it is now clear that ‘brother’ is a term expressive of love.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 2575
2575. ‘Behold, I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your brother’ means an infinite abundance of rational truth joined to [celestial] good. This is clear from the meaning of ‘a thousand’ as much and countless, here, as infinite, or an infinite abundance, since the expression has reference to the Lord, a meaning dealt with below; from the meaning of ‘silver’ as rational truth, dealt with in 1551, 2048; and from the meaning of ‘a brother’ as celestial good joined to rational truth, like a brother to a sister, 2524, 2557. From this it is evident that ‘I have given a thousand pieces of silver to your brother’ means an infinite abundance of rational truth joined to [celestial] good. The reason this abundance was granted to good, meant by ‘a brother’, but not to truth, is that truth derives from good, not good from truth.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 3129
3129. ‘And Rebekah had a brother’ means the affection for good in the natural man. This is clear from the meaning of ‘a brother’ and of ‘a sister’ in the Word – ‘a brother’ being the affection for good, and ‘a sister’ the affection for truth, dealt with in 367, 2360, 2508, 2524. For in the natural man, as in the rational, all things there are interrelated like blood relatives and relatives by marriage, 2556, 2739. For that reason also the rational mind as well as the natural mind is called a house or family where parents, brothers, sisters, blood relatives, and relatives by marriage exist in order.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 3303
3303. ‘And after this his brother came out’ means truth. This is clear from the meaning of ‘brother’ as good, and also as truth, for the two are called brothers. Charity is the brother of faith, or good the brother of truth, see 367, so that conversely faith is the brother of charity, or truth the brother of good. Also within the natural, the affection for good is called a brother and the affection for truth a sister, 3160, as well as husband and wife (mulier), and man and wife (mulier). But these are always used with respect to the states that are being described.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 3459
3459. ‘And swore, a man to his brother’ means confirmation with those who do the good of truth. This is clear from the meaning of ‘swearing’ or of ‘an oath’ as confirmation, dealt with in 2842, 3037, 3375, and from the meaning of ‘a man to his brother’ as the good of truth, or what amounts to the same, one who is governed by that truth – ‘man’ meaning truth, see 265, 749, 1007, 3134, 3309, and ‘brother’ good, 2360. For what the good of truth is, see 3295, 3332. This good occurs with those represented here by Abimelech or by the Philistines, of whom Abimelech was the king, that is to say, those who make faith the essential thing of the Church and rank it above charity. No other good exists with such persons than the good of truth. Indeed they extract and draw out of the Word nothing else than references to faith and so to truth. They hardly notice references to good and so to life, and as a consequence they become more firmly convinced by matters of doctrine concerning faith and not by any concerning charity. When they do perform a good action it is one prescribed by matters of doctrine concerning faith. Good prescribed by these is called the good of truth.
[2] The Lord does indeed join Himself to those with whom this good exists, but not in the same way as He does to those who do the good of charity, for love and charity constitute spiritual conjunction, but not so faith except through love and charity. It is for this reason that the words used are not ‘they made a covenant with Isaac’ but ‘they swore, a man to his brother’; for ‘a covenant’ has reference to good, which is the good of love and charity, whereas ‘an oath’ has reference to truth, which is the truth of faith, 3375.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 3803
3803. ‘Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother’ means the kinship of the good represented by ‘Jacob’ and of the good represented by ‘Laban’. This is clear from the meaning of ‘telling’ as making known; from the representation of ‘Jacob’ as good, dealt with already; from the representation of ‘Rachel’, to whom it was made known, as the affection for interior truth, dealt with in 3793; from the meaning of ‘brother’, who in this place is Jacob, as good, dealt with in 367, 2360, 3303, 3459; and from the meaning of ‘father’, who in this place is Laban, as good also, dealt with in 3703. From these meanings and from the train of thought it is evident that ‘Jacob told Rachel that he was her father’s brother’ means the kinship of the good meant by ‘Jacob’ and of the good meant by ‘Laban’. To explain the actual kinship however and so the joining together of the two through the affection for interior truth meant by ‘Rachel’ would only throw the matter into obscurity, for few know what the good of the natural is and that this is distinct and separate from the good of the rational. Neither do they know what a parallel good springing from a common stock is, nor also what the affection for interior truth is. Anyone who has not by finding out for himself gathered some idea of these matters gains merely a superficial idea, if any at all, from a description of them; for a person takes in only as much of a description given by others as fits in with ideas of his own or else which he acquires by coming to see the thing in himself. All else passes him by. It is enough if one knows that countless kinships of good and truth exist, and that heavenly communities exist in accordance with those kinships, 685, 917, 2739, 3612.
[2] The reason why Jacob calls himself Laban’s brother when he was in fact his sister’s son is that by virtue of good all are brothers. This also is why Laban in turn calls Jacob ‘brother’ in verse 15. For it is good that constitutes blood-relationship and which effects any joining together, since good is an attribute of love, and love is a spiritual joining together.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 4121
4121. ‘And he took his brothers with him’ means forms of good replacing those which it had lost. This is clear from the meaning of ‘brothers’ as forms of good, dealt with in 2360, 3160, 3303, 3459, 3803, 3815. In the internal sense ‘brothers’ means people who are governed by the same kind of goodness and truth, that is, they share the same affection for these. Indeed all in the next life are grouped together in different communities on the basis of their affections; and those so grouped together in any community constitute a brotherhood. They do so not because they call themselves brothers but because they are such through their being joined to one another.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 4671
4671. ‘Was pasturing the flock with his brothers’ means its presence among those governed by faith who were teachers. This is clear from the meaning of ‘pasturing the flock’ as teaching those within the Church, in particular from matters of doctrine. For one who pastures the flock, or a shepherd, means one who teaches, see 343, 3772, 3795. In this case the meaning is presence among those who taught, because the words ‘pasturing the flock with his brothers’ are used – Joseph’s brothers in this chapter representing the Church which turned aside from charity to faith, and at length to faith separated from charity and so to falsities, as will be evident in what follows below.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 4700
4700. ‘And his father rebuked him and said to him, What is this dream that you have dreamed?’ means indignation. This is clear from the meaning of ‘rebuking’ as being indignant, in particular on account of the declaration of the truth concerning the Lord’s Divine Human – that declaration being meant by ‘dreaming a dream’, dealt with in 4682, 4693, 4695. ‘Joseph’s father and brothers’ at this point are the Jewish religion, an offspring of ancient religion. The external ceremony of that Jewish religion was for the most part like that of the Ancient Church. There was however an internal dimension to external rituals in the case of those who belonged to the Ancient Church, but not in the case of those who belonged to the Jewish semblance of religion. For the Jews did not acknowledge the existence of anything internal; nor do they at the present day. But though they failed to acknowledge it, something internal did exist. External ceremony together with the internal side of it is called ‘father’ here, but external ceremony devoid of any such internal is called ‘brothers’. This accounts for the phrases which follow, stating that ‘his brothers envied him’ and ‘his father kept the matter [in mind]’. The first phrase means the aversion of those whose external ceremony is devoid of anything internal, the second means that truth nevertheless remained within their kind of religion.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 4750
4750. ‘And Judah said to his brothers’ means the corrupt within the Church who are opposed to all good whatever. This is clear from the representation of ‘Judah’ in the good sense as the good of celestial love, dealt with in 3654, 3881, but in the contrary sense as an opposition to all good whatever, dealt with below; and from the meaning of ‘his brothers’ as those in the Church who are adherents to faith separated from charity. The reason ‘Judah’ here represents those who are opposed to all good whatever is that in the good sense ‘Judah’ in the Word represents those who are governed by the good of celestial love. Celestial love consists in love to the Lord and from this in love towards the neighbour. Those governed by this love are the ones who are the most closely joined to the Lord and therefore they live in the inmost heaven, and in a state of innocence there. This being so, they are seen by all others as small children, and entirely as visual forms of love. No one else can go near them, and therefore when they are sent to others they are surrounded by other angels, through whom the sphere of love emanating from them is moderated. If not moderated this sphere would cause those to whom they have been sent to faint, for the sphere of their love penetrates even to one’s marrow.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5067
5067. Since therefore the Lord is not concerned about external things, only about those that are internal, and a person bears witness to internal ones not through worship alone but through charity and acts that express it, the Lord replied,
Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me.
The word ‘brothers’ is used to describe those in whom the good of charity and life is present; for since good itself is present in them, the Lord resides with them. These are the ones who are meant, strictly speaking, by the neighbour. Yet the Lord does not present Himself even within these, for compared with Him they are worthless. But a person presents himself before the Lord by worshipping Him with his inner being.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 5409
5409. ‘Joseph’s ten brothers’ means such truths known to the Church as were in agreement with one another. This is clear from the meaning of ‘brothers’ as truths known to the Church. These truths are called ‘Joseph’s brothers’ (‘Joseph’ representing truth received from the Divine) by virtue of their agreement with one another; for that agreement causes them to exist joined together like one brother to another. ‘The sons of Jacob’ means all the truths of faith or the truths as a general whole that are known by the Church, 5403; and the expression ‘Joseph’s brothers’ has a similar meaning, though this is because of their agreement with one another. Jacob’s ten sons by Leah mean the truths known to the external Church, but Jacob’s two sons by Rachel mean the truths known to the internal Church, as is evident from what has been shown regarding Leah and Rachel. That is to say, it has been shown that ‘Leah’ is the affection for exterior truth and ‘Rachel’ the affection for interior truth, both dealt with in 3758, 3782, 3793, 3819. Also, the internal Church and the external Church are ‘brothers’, see 1221. The Lord Himself therefore uses the word ‘brothers’ to describe truths and resulting forms of good which exist in agreement with one another by virtue of charity and faith, that is, to describe people who know truths and from these desire what is good: In Matthew,
The king will say to them, Truly I say to you, Insofar as you did it to one of the least of these My brothers you did it to Me. Matt. 25:40.
And elsewhere,
Jesus answered them, saying, Who is My mother, or My brothers? And looking round about He said, Behold My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother, and My sister, and My mother. Mark 3:33-35; Matt. 12:49; Luke 8:21.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 6364
6364. ‘Your brothers will praise you’ means that this Church is superior to all the rest. This is clear from the meaning of ‘being praised’ as being superior; from the representation of Judah, to whom ‘you’ refers here, as the celestial Church, dealt with immediately above in 6363; and from the meaning of ‘brothers’ as the truths which that Church possesses, thus also the Churches which are governed by those truths and are represented by ‘Judah’s brothers’; for truths and forms of good are what constitute a Church. The truths which the celestial Church possesses are meant by ‘your brothers’, that is, Judah’s brothers, whereas the truths that the spiritual Church possesses are meant by ‘his father’s sons’ below in 6366.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 6567
6567. ‘And his brothers also went and fell down before him’ means the submission of the things in the natural [to the internal]. This is clear from the representation of the sons of Israel, to whom ‘brothers’ refers here, as spiritual truths in the natural, dealt with in 5414, 5879, 5951; from the meaning of ‘fell down before him’ as submission; and from the representation of Joseph as the internal, dealt with in 6499. From this it is evident that ‘his brothers went and fell down before him’ means the submission of the things in the natural to the internal. The subject in this chapter is the establishing of a spiritual Church, and at this point the submission of the things that are in the natural to the internal. In considering this submission it should be recognized that a spiritual Church cannot possibly be established with anyone unless the things that belong to the natural or external man have been made submissive to the spiritual or internal man. As long as solely the truth of faith holds sway with a person, and not the good of charity, the natural or external man has not been made submissive to the spiritual or internal man; but as soon as good reigns, the natural or external man submits, and then that person becomes a spiritual Church.
[2] One recognizes the truth of this from the fact that such a person does from affection what truth teaches, and does not act contrary to that affection, no matter how much the natural desires it. That affection and the power of reason arising from it is what reigns in him, bringing under its control in the natural the delights of self-love and love of the world as well as the false notions that have permeated the factual knowledge there. At length that control is so complete that it becomes a matter of pleasure to the person. The natural now grows quiet, and after that comes into agreement with the internal; and when it is in agreement it shares the internal’s feeling of pleasure. From all this one may see how to understand the submission of the things in the natural to the internal, meant by ‘his brothers went and fell down before him, and said, Behold, we are your slaves’.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 6628
6628. It has been shown in various places in the explanations given already that teachings about charity were the teachings in the Ancient Churches, and that these teachings linked all the Churches together and in so doing made one Church out of many. For they recognized as members of the Church all those people who led a good and charitable life, and they called them their brothers, no matter how much otherwise they differed from them in truths, which at the present day are called matters of faith. People informed one another about those truths, and this was one of their charitable works. Neither were they annoyed if one person did not go along with the opinion of another; they knew that everyone accepts the truth insofar as he is governed by good.
Arcana Coelestia (Elliott) n. 9806
9806. ‘And you, cause Aaron your brother to come near to you’ means the joining of Divine Truth to Divine Good within the Lord’s Divine Human. This is clear from the representation of Moses, the one here who was to cause Aaron to come near him, as the Lord in respect of Divine Truth, dealt with in 6752, 6771, 7014, 9372; from the meaning of ‘drawing near’ as a joining to and presence with, dealt with in 9378; from the representation of ‘Aaron’ as the Lord in respect of Divine Good, dealt with below; and from the meaning of ‘brother’ as good, dealt with in 3303, 3803, 3815, 4121, 4191, 5686, 5692, 6756. From all this it is evident that the words telling Moses that he should cause Aaron his brother to come near to him mean the joining of Divine Truth to Divine Good within the Lord, the reason why within His Divine Human is meant being that this was where that joining together had to take place. For the Lord had first to make His Human Divine Truth, then afterwards Divine Good, see the places referred to in 9199, 9315. The reason why Aaron was chosen to serve in the priestly office was that he was Moses’ brother, and in this way the brotherly relationship of Divine Truth and Divine Good in heaven was at the same time represented. For as stated above, Moses represented Divine Truth and Aaron Divine Good.
[2] Everything throughout creation, both in heaven and in the world, has connection with good and with truth, to the end that it may be something. For good is the inner being (Esse) of truth, and truth is the outward manifestation (Existere) of good. Good without truth therefore cannot manifest itself, and truth without good has no real being. From this it is evident that they must be joined together. In the Word the two joined together are represented by a married couple or by two brothers, by a married couple when the heavenly marriage – the marriage of good and truth – and the succeeding generations which spring from that marriage, are the subject, and by two brothers when two kinds of ministry, namely those of judgement and worship, are the subject. Those who served as ministers of judgement were called judges, and at a later time kings, whereas those who served as ministers of worship were called priests. And since all judgement is arrived at through truth and all worship springs from good, truth founded on good is meant in the Word by ‘judges’, in the abstract sense, in which no actual person is envisaged; but truth from which good results is meant by ‘kings’, and good itself by ‘priests’. So it is that in the Word the Lord is called Judge, also Prophet, as well as King, in places where the subject has reference to truth, but Priest where it has reference to good. He is in like manner called Christ, Anointed, or Messiah in places where the subject has reference to truth, but Jesus or Saviour where it has reference to good.
[3] It was on account of this brotherly relationship of the truth which belongs to judgement and the good which belongs to worship that Aaron, brother of Moses, was chosen to serve in the priestly office.
Apocalypse Revealed (Rogers) n. 32
32. I, John, who am also your brother and companion. (1:9) This symbolizes those people who possess the goodness of charity and consequent truths of faith.
The Apostle John represented those people who possess the goodness of charity, as we said in no. 5 above, and people who possess the goodness of charity also possess truths of faith, since charity is the soul and life of faith.
It is because of this that John calls himself the brother and companion of the people in the church to whom he was writing, for he was writing to the seven churches. In the spiritual sense of the Word a brother means someone who possesses the goodness of charity, and a companion someone who for that reason possesses truths of faith. For people are all as though blood relatives through charity, and relatives by marriage through faith. That is because charity unites, but not so much faith unless it springs from charity.
Apocalypse Explained (Tansley) n. 746
746. Because the accuser of our brethren is cast down.- That this signifies after those have been separated from heaven, and condemned to hell, who fought against the life of faith, which is charity, is evident from the signification of being cast down, when said of the dragon, as denoting that those meant by the dragon were separated from heaven and condemned to hell (concerning which see above, n. 739, 742), and from the signification of the accuser of our brethren, as denoting those who fought against the life of faith, which is charity. For an accuser signifies one who attacks, rebukes, and reproaches, for he who accuses also attacks, rebukes, and reproaches; moreover, in the original, an adversary and one who reproaches are expressed by the same word. What is wonderful, although those who are dragons make no account of life, yet they accuse the faithful in the spiritual world, if they observe [in them] any evil of ignorance, for they inquire into their life in order that they may reproach and condemn them, and therefore they are called accusers.
[2] But by the brethren whom they accuse are meant all those in the heavens, and also all those on earth who are in the good of charity. Such are called brethren because they all have one Father, that is, the Lord; and those who are in the good of love to the Lord, and in the good of charity towards the neighbour, are His sons, and are also called sons of God, sons of the kingdom, and heirs. It follows, therefore, that since they are the sons of one Father, they are also brethren. Moreover, it is the chief commandment of the Lord the Father, that they should love one another, consequently it is love that makes them brethren; love also is spiritual conjunction.