What is Man? (Part I)

Selections from The Heavenly Doctrines ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

What is man, that thou art mindful of him? And the son of man, that thou visitest him? (Psalm 8:4)

"Man" signifies the understanding of truth and the perception of good, because it is by virtue of these that man is man, therefore when "man" is mentioned in the Word it means in the spiritual sense that by virtue of which man is man, for this is his spiritual [part]. Man has two faculties of which his whole life is made up, namely, understanding and will; therefore such as is the quality of his understanding and will such is the man. If he has the understanding of truth and the will of good he is truly a man, for truth and good are from the Lord, and it is from the Lord alone that man is man. But if he has not the understanding of truth and the will of good, but falsity in the place of truth and evil in the place of good, he is still called a man, yet he is not a man except from this alone, that he has the faculty of understanding truth and perceiving good. From this it can be seen that in the Word by "men" such things as constitute them men are meant, and here the understanding of truth and the perception of good. (Apocalypse Explained 546:2)

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THE ENTIRE HEAVEN, AS ONE WHOLE, RESEMBLES ONE MAN

That heaven in its whole complex resembles one man is an arcanum not yet known in the world, but it is very well known in the heavens. To know this and the specific and particular things relating to it, is the chief thing in the intelligence of the angels there. Indeed, on it many things depend which, without it as their general principle, would not enter distinctly and clearly into the ideas of the angels' minds. Since they know that all the heavens with their societies resemble one man they therefore call heaven the GRAND AND DIVINE MAN — Divine because it is the Divine of the Lord that makes heaven.

Those who have not a right idea of spiritual and celestial things cannot perceive that celestial and spiritual things are arranged and conjoined into such a form and image. They think that the earthly and material things of which a man's ultimate part is composed, make the man, and that, apart from these, the man is not a man. But they should know that it is not from these that the man is a man, but from his ability to understand what is true and to will what is good. Such understanding and willing are the spiritual and celestial things that make a man.

Moreover, it is acknowledged that everyone's quality is determined by the quality of his understanding and will; and it can also be known that his earthly body has been formed to serve the understanding and the will in the world, and to perform uses in conformity with them in the ultimate sphere of nature. For this reason, the body does nothing of itself, but is actuated always in complete subservience to the bidding of the understanding and will, even to the extent that whatever a man thinks, he speaks with his tongue and mouth, and whatever he wills, he does with his body and limbs, so that the understanding and the will are what act while the body of itself does nothing. Evidently, then, the things of the understanding and will are what make man, and as these act into the minutest particulars of the body, as what is internal into what is external, they must be in the same form, and on this account, man is called an internal and spiritual man. Heaven is such a man in the greatest and most perfect form.

Such being the idea of angels about man, they (the angels) never pay any attention to what a man does with his body, but they are concerned with the will from which the body acts. This they call the man himself, and the understanding they call the man so far as it acts as one with the will.

The will of man is the very being (esse) of his life, and his understanding is the existing (existere) of his life therefrom

The chief life of man is the life of his will, and from that the life of the understanding proceeds.

Man is man by virtue of his will and his understanding therefrom

The angels, it is true, do not see heaven in its whole complex in such a form, for the whole heaven does not come within the view of any angel, but now and then they see, as a one in such a form, remote societies consisting of many thousands of angels; and from a society as from a part, they draw their conclusion as to the whole community which heaven is. For in the most perfect forms, the general things are conditioned like the parts and the parts like the general things with simply such a difference as there is between a large and small edition of the same thing. Hence the angels say, that because the Divine sees all things from what is inmost and highest, so in the Lord's sight, the whole heaven is such a form.

Such being the form of heaven, it is ruled by the Lord as one man, thus as a unit. For although man, as is well known, consists of an innumerable variety of things not only as a whole but also in each part - as a whole, of members, organs and viscera, and in each part, of series of fibres, nerves and blood - vessels, thus of members within members and of parts within parts - yet the man when he acts, does so as a one. Such then is heaven under the oversight and leadership of the Lord.

CONJOINED IN A LIKE FORM IN ACCORDANCE WITH USES

So many different things act as one in a man, because there is nothing whatever in him which does not contribute something to the general welfare and perform a use. The general performs a use for its parts, and the parts for the general, for the general is composed of the parts and the parts make up the general. Therefore, they provide for one another, have regard to one another and are conjoined in such a form that each single thing and all things have reference to the general and its good. So it comes about that they act as one.

In the heavens there are the same sort of consociations. Those there are conjoined in a like form in accordance with uses. Consequently, those who do not perform a use for the community are cast out of heaven because they are heterogeneous. To perform use is to will well to others for the sake of the common good, and not to perform use is to will well to others, not for the sake of the common good but for the sake of self. The latter are those who love themselves above all things while the former are those who love the Lord above all things. Thus it is that those who are in heaven act as a one. This, however, they do, not from themselves but from the Lord, for they look to Him as the one and only Source of all things, and to His kingdom as the community whose welfare is to be considered. This is what is meant by the Lord's words,

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His justice, and all things shall be added unto you. Matt. 6:33.

To seek His justice is to seek His good. Those who in the world love their country's good more than their own, and their neighbour's good as their own, are those who in the other life love and seek the Lord's kingdom, for there the Lord's kingdom takes the place of their country. Also, those who love to do good to others, not for the sake of self but for the sake of good, love the neighbour, for in heaven good is the neighbour. All such are in the Grand Man, that is, in heaven.

Justice in the Word is predicated of good, and judgment of truth, and hence to do justice and judgment is to do what is good and true.

In the highest sense the Lord is the neighbour, and hence to love the Lord is to love that which is from Him, because He Himself is in everything that is from Him; thus good and truth. Therefore, all good which is from the Lord is the neighbour, and to will and to do that good is to love the neighbour.

Since the whole heaven resembles one man and is a Divine spiritual man in the greatest form in its very likeness, so heaven, like a man, is arranged into members and parts which are similarly named. Moreover, angels know in what member this or that society is. This society, they say, is in the head or a certain province of the head, another in the breast or a certain province of the breast, that, in the loins or a certain province of the loins, and so forth. In general, the highest or third heaven forms the head down to the neck, the middle or second heaven forms the breast down to the loins and knees, the lowest or first heaven forms the feet down to the soles and also the arms down to the fingers, for the arms and hands are the ultimates of a man, although at the sides. This again makes it evident why there are three heavens.

The spirits who are beneath heaven are greatly astonished when they hear and see that heaven is not only above but below, for they have the same idea and belief as men have in the world, that heaven is above only. For they do not know that the position of the heavens is like that of the members, organs, and viscera in man, some of which are above and some below, or like the position of the parts in any one of the members, organs and viscera, some of which are within and some without. Hence they have confused notions about heaven.

These things about heaven being the Grand Man have been set forth because without that knowledge in advance the things about heaven which follow cannot be at all comprehended. Nor without it can one have any clear idea about the form of heaven, the conjunction of the Lord with heaven, the conjunction of heaven with man, the influx of the spiritual world into the natural, or indeed any idea at all about correspondence - subjects to be treated of in order in what now follows. The above has therefore been premised to throw some light on these subjects.

ANY ONE SOCIETY IN THE HEAVENS RESEMBLES ONE MAN

I have frequently been permitted to see that each society of heaven resembles one man and is in the likeness of a man. There was a society into which many who knew how to feign themselves angels of light had insinuated themselves. They were hypocrites. When these were being separated from the angels, I saw that the entire society appeared at first like a single indistinct body, then by degrees in a human form but still indistinctly, and at last, clearly as a man. Those who were in that man and made up the man were such as were in the good of that society. The others who were not in the man and did not make up the man were hypocrites. The latter were cast out, the former retained. Thus a separation was effected.

Hypocrites are those who talk well and do well but regard themselves in everything. They talk as do the angels about the Lord, about heaven, love and heavenly life, and they also act rightly that they may appear to be such as they are in speech, BUT they think otherwise, believe nothing and wish good to none but themselves. Their doing good is for the sake of self, or if for the sake of others, it is in order to be seen and thus still for the sake of self.

I have also been permitted to see that an entire angelic society, when the Lord manifests Himself as present, appears as a one in the human form. There was visible on high, towards the east, something like a cloud, from dazzling white becoming led, with little stars round about, which were descending; by degrees as it descended, it became brighter and at last was seen in a perfect human form. The little stars round about the cloud were angels, who so appeared by virtue of light from the Lord.

It ought to be known that, whenever all in one society of heaven appear together as one, it is in the likeness of a man, yet no one society is just such a man as another. They differ from one another like the faces of individuals of one family, that is, they vary in accordance with the varieties of the good in which they are, and this determines their form. The societies of the inmost or highest heaven and in the centre of it appear in the most perfect and most beautiful human form.

HEAVEN NEVER CLOSES

It is worthy of mention that the more there are in one society of heaven, all acting as one, the more perfect is its human form, for variety arranged in a heavenly form is what makes perfection, and variety results from plurality. Moreover, every society of heaven increases in number from day to day and as it increases, it becomes more perfect. Thus not only does the society become more perfect, but also heaven in general because it is made up of societies. As heaven gains in perfection by increase of numbers, it is evident how mistaken are those who believe that heaven may be closed by becoming full. For the opposite is true, that it is never closed but is perfected by greater and greater fullness. Therefore, the angels wish for nothing more than to have new angel guests come to them.

Each society, when it appears as one whole, is in the likeness of a man for the reason that heaven as a whole so appears. Moreover, in the most perfect form such as that of heaven is, there is likeness of the parts with the whole, and of lesser parts with the greatest. The lesser forms and parts of heaven are the societies of which it consists which also are heavens in lesser form. This likeness is continuous throughout because in the heavens the goods of all are from one love, thus from one origin. The one love which is the origin of the good of all in heaven is love to the Lord from the Lord. It is from this that the entire heaven in general, any one society less generally, and each angel in particular is a likeness of the Lord.

THEREFORE EACH ANGEL IS IN A COMPLETE HUMAN FORM

In the two preceding sections it has been shown that heaven in its whole complex resembles one man, as does any one society in heaven. From the sequence of reasons there set forth, it follows that this is equally true of each angel. As heaven is man in the greatest form, and a society of heaven in a less form, so is an angel in the least form. For, in the most perfect form such as that of heaven is, there is a likeness of the whole in the part and of the part in the whole. This is the case for the reason that heaven is a communion, for it communicates all it has with each one, and each one receives all he has from that communion. An angel is a receptacle, and by virtue of this, a heaven in least form. A man, too, so far as he receives heaven, is also a receptacle, a heaven and an angel This is described in the Revelation as follows,

He measured the wall of the holy Jerusalem, a hundred and forty-four cubits, the measure of a man, that is of an angel. Rev. 21:17.

"Jerusalem" there is the Lord's Church, and, in a higher sense, heaven

the "wall" is the truth that is a defence against the assault of falsities and evils

the "hundred and forty-four" are all truths and goods in the complex

the "measure" is the quality; a "man" is one in whom are all goods and truths in general and particular, that is, in whom is heaven, and as it is from these that an angel also is a man, it is said, the "measure of a man" which is that of an angel.

This is the spiritual sense of the words. Without that sense, who could understand that the wall of the Holy Jerusalem is the measure of a man, that is, of an angel?

THOSE WHO THINK FROM THE SENSE IMPRESSIONS

Sometimes I have marvelled at their being such. Lest this might be said to be a delusion or a vision of fancy, I have been permitted to see them when I was fully awake, in possession of all my bodily senses, and in a state of clear perception. Indeed, I have quite often told them that men in the Christian world are in such blind ignorance about angels and spirits as to believe them to be minds without form, even pure thoughts, of which they have no idea except as something ethereal in which there is some vitality. Because they thus ascribe to them nothing human except a thinking faculty, they believe that, having no eyes they see not, having no ears they hear not, and having no mouth or tongue they speak not.

To this the angels replied that they are aware that such a belief is held by many in the world, and is prevalent among the learned and also, to their amazement, among the clergy. The reason, they said, is that the learned who were the leaders and first propounded such an idea about angels and spirits, thought about them from the sense impressions of the external man, and that men who think from those, and not from interior light and the general idea implanted in everyone, can do no other than invent such notions, since the sense impressions of the external man take in only what belongs to nature, and nothing above nature, thus nothing whatever of the spiritual world. From these leaders as guides, this falsity of thought about angels extended to others who did not think from themselves but from the thoughts of their leaders. Those who first form their thoughts from others, make that thought their belief, and afterwards view it with their understanding, cannot easily recede from it and so, for the most part, acquiesce in confirmation of it.

The angels said, furthermore, that the simple in faith and heart do not have this idea about angels but have an idea of them as men of heaven, for the reason that they have not extinguished, by erudition, what is implanted in them from heaven, neither do they apprehend anything without a form. For a like reason, angels in churches, whether sculptured or painted, are always depicted as men. In respect of what is implanted from heaven they said that it is the Divine flowing into such as are in the good of faith and life.

Unless man is raised above the sensual impressions of the external man he has very little wisdom.

The wise man thinks above these sensual impressions.

When man is raised above these, he comes into clearer light, and finally into heavenly light.

Elevation and withdrawal from these was known to the ancients.

From all my experience which is now of several years, I can declare and avow that angels as to their form are wholly men, having faces, eyes, ears, bodies, arms, hands and feet, and that they see and hear one another and talk together. In a word, they lack nothing at all that a man has, except that they are not clothed over all with a material body. I have seen them in their own light which exceeds by many degrees the noonday light of the world, and in that light all their features were seen more distinctly and clearly than the faces of men on the earth. It has also been granted me to see an angel of the inmost heaven. He had a more radiant and resplendent face than the angels of the lower heavens. I observed him attentively, and he had a human form in all perfection.

It ought to be known, however, that angels cannot be seen by a man through the eyes of his body but through the eyes of the spirit within him, because this is in the spiritual world, while all things of the body are in the natural world. Like sees like from being alike. Besides, as everyone knows, the bodily organ of sight which is the eye is so gross as to be unable even to see, except through magnifying glasses, the smaller things of nature; still less then can it see the things that are above the sphere of nature such as are all things in the spiritual world. But these things may be seen by a man when he is withdrawn from the sight of the body, and the sight of his spirit is opened. This takes place instantly whenever it pleases the Lord that these things should be seen. In that case, the man does not know but that he is seeing them with his bodily eyes. Angels were seen in this way by Abraham, Lot, Manoah and the Prophets. Thus, too, was the Lord seen by the disciples after the resurrection, and angels have been seen by me in the same way. Because the Prophets saw in this way, they were called "seers", and were said "to have their eyes opened" 1 Sam. 9:9, Num. 24:3, and enabling them to see thus was called "opening their eyes" as with Elisha's lad of whom we read,

Elisha prayed and said, Jehovah, I pray Thee, open his eyes that he may see; and when Jehovah opened the eyes of his young man, behold, he saw that the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.  2 Kings 6:17.

Man, as to his interiors, is a spirit

The spirit is the man himself, for the body lives from the spirit.

Upright spirits, with whom I have spoken on this matter, have been grieved at heart that there should be such ignorance within the Church about the condition of heaven, and about spirits and angels, and, in their displeasure, they charged me to declare that they are not minds without a form, nor ethereal breaths, but are men in very likeness, and that they see, hear and feel as fully as those who are in the world.

Every angel, because he is a recipient of Divine order from the Lord, is in a human form, perfect and beautiful according to the measure of the reception.

Divine Truth is that by which order is effected, but the Divine Good is the essential of order.

(from Heaven and Hell 59-77)

Innocence in the Will and Understanding

Selection from Heaven and Hell ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

At the same time came the disciples unto Jesus, saying, Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven? And Jesus called a little child unto him, and set him in the midst of them, and said, Verily I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, the same is greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoso shall receive one such little child in my name receiveth me. But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. Matthew 18:1-6

Innocence is a receptacle of all things of heaven, and thus the innocence of little children is a plane for all affections of good and truth.

The innocence of angels in heaven — a willingness to be led by the Lord and not by oneself.

Consequently, so far as a man is in innocence he is separated from his proprium, [his self-will] and so far as anyone is separated from his proprium he is in the Lord's proprium. The Lord's proprium is what is called His justice and merit. But the innocence of little children is not genuine innocence, because as yet it is without wisdom.

Genuine innocence is wisdom.

For so far as anyone is wise he loves to be led by the Lord, or what is the same, so far as anyone is led by the Lord he is wise. Therefore little children are led from the external innocence in which they are at the beginning, and which is called the innocence of infancy, to internal innocence, which is the innocence of wisdom. This innocence is the end that directs all their instruction and progress. Therefore, when they have attained to the innocence of wisdom, the innocence of infancy, which in the meanwhile has served them as a plane, is joined to them.

The innocence of little children has been represented to me as a wooden sort of thing, almost devoid of life, which becomes vivified as they are perfected by cognitions of truth and affections of good. Afterwards, genuine innocence was represented by a most beautiful child, naked and full of life; for the really innocent, who are in the inmost heaven and thus nearest to the Lord, always appear before the eyes of other angels as little children, and some of them naked; for innocence is represented by nakedness unaccompanied by shame, as is said of the first man and his wife in Paradise (Gen. 2:25). So when their state of innocence perished they were ashamed of their nakedness, and hid themselves (chap. 3:7, 10, 11).

In a word, the wiser the angels are the more innocent they are, and the more innocent they are, the more they appear to themselves as little children. This is why in the Word "infancy" signifies innocence.

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The innocence of wisdom is genuine innocence, because it is internal, for it belongs to the mind (mens) itself, that is, to the will itself and thence to the understanding. And when there is innocence in these there is also wisdom, for wisdom belongs to the will and understanding. This is why it is said in heaven that innocence dwells in wisdom, and that an angel has as much wisdom as he has innocence. This is confirmed by the fact that those who are in a state of innocence attribute nothing of good to themselves, but regard all things as received and attribute them to the Lord. Also they wish to be led by Him and not by themselves. They love everything that is good and they delight in everything that is true, because they know and perceive that loving what is good, that is, willing and doing it, is loving the Lord, and that loving truth is loving the neighbour. They live contented with what they have, whether it be little or much, because they know that they receive just as much as is good for them - those receiving little for whom little is useful, and those receiving much for whom much is useful. They also recognize that they themselves do not know what is good for them, the Lord alone knowing this, for in all things that He provides He looks to eternal ends.

Neither are they anxious about the future. Anxiety about the future they call care for the morrow, which they define as grief on account of losing or not receiving things that are not necessary for the uses of life. With companions they never act from an evil end but from what is good, just, and sincere. Acting from an evil end they call cunning, which they shun as the poison of a serpent, since it is wholly antagonistic to innocence. As they love nothing more than to be led by the Lord, attributing to Him all things that they receive, they are removed from their own proprium. [self-will]; and to the extent that they are so removed from their own proprium the Lord inflows. In consequence of this, whatever they hear from Him, whether by the Word or by means of preaching, they do not store it up in the memory, but instantly obey it, that is, will it and do it, their will being itself their memory. For the most part these outwardly appear simple, but in internal things they are wise and prudent. These are meant by the Lord in the words,

Be ye prudent as serpents and simple as doves. Matt. 10:16.

Such is the innocence that is called the innocence of wisdom.

Because innocence attributes nothing of good to itself, but attributes all good to the Lord, and because it thus loves to be led by the Lord, and the reception of all good and truth, from which wisdom comes, is derived therefrom - therefore man has been so created that during his childhood he is in innocence, though external, and when he becomes old he is in internal innocence, to the end that he may come by the former into the latter, and from the latter return into the former. For the same reason, when a man becomes old he dwindles in body and becomes again like a little child, but like a wise child, that is, an angel, for an angel is a wise child in an eminent sense. This is why, in the Word, "a little child" signifies one who is innocent, and an old man" signifies one who is wise in whom is innocence.

(from Heaven and Hell 341; 278)

Miracles Divine and Miracles Not Divine

Passages from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

The men of Jericho said unto Elisha, Behold the situation of this city is good; but the waters are evil, and the land is barren. Then Elisha said that they should put salt in a new cruse, and should cast the salt therefrom at the outlet of the waters; and the waters were healed, neither came there any more death or barrenness (2 Kings 2:19-21).

No one can know what these words infold within them except from the internal sense; for all the miracles related in the Word infold within them such things as are in the Lord's kingdom, or in the church; and therefore it is necessary to know what was represented by Elisha, what was signified by the city of Jericho, what by the evil waters and the barren land, what by a new cruse and the salt in it, and also what by the outlet of the waters into which they were to cast the salt.

• Elisha represented the Lord as to the Word
• waters signify the truths of faith; thus evil waters signify truths without good
• a barren land signifies the good of the church consequently not alive
• a new cruse that is, a new vessel, signifies knowledges of good and truth
• salt signifies the longing of truth for good
• the outlet of the waters signifies the natural of man which receives the knowledges of truth and good, and which is amended by the longing of truth for good.

From all this it is evident that this miracle infolded within it the amendment of the church and of the life by the Lord through the Word, and through the consequent longing of truth for good; which amendment is effected when from such a longing the man's natural receives truths from the Word. That this took place near the city of Jericho, was because this city was situated not far from the Jordan; and by "the Jordan" is signified that in the man of the church which first receives truths, thus the natural.

That it is man's natural which first receives truths out of the Word from the Lord, and that it is the last to be regenerated, and that when it has been regenerated, the whole man is regenerated, was signified by the Lord's words to Peter, when He washed the disciples' feet:

Jesus said, He that is washed needeth not save to have his feet washed, and is clean every whit (John 13:10)

that the "feet" denote the things of the natural man, and in general the natural itself; that for a man to be regenerated, the natural or external man must be in correspondence with the spiritual or internal man; thus that he is not regenerate until the natural has been regenerated.

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And Moses and Aaron did so, as the LORD commanded; and he lifted up the rod, and smote the waters that were in the river, in the sight of Pharaoh, and in the sight of his servants; and all the waters that were in the river were turned to blood. And the fish that was in the river died; and the river stank, and the Egyptians could not drink of the water of the river; and there was blood throughout all the land of Egypt. And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments: and Pharaoh's heart was hardened, neither did he hearken unto them; as the LORD had said. (Exodus 7:20-22)

And the magicians of Egypt did so with their enchantments. That this signifies that their falsifiers fashioned the like, is evident from the signification of the Egyptian magic and enchantments, as being abuses of Divine order.  As regards miracles, be it known that Divine miracles differ from magical miracles as heaven does from hell. Divine miracles proceed from Divine truth and advance according to order, the effects in ultimates being miracles when it pleases the Lord that they be presented in this form. Hence it is that all Divine miracles represent states of the Lord's kingdom in the heavens, and of the Lord's kingdom in the earth, that is, of the church. This is the internal form of Divine miracles. Such is the case with all the miracles done in Egypt, and also with all others that are mentioned in the Word.

All miracles which the Lord Himself wrought when He was in the world signified the coming state of the church; thus that the eyes of the blind were opened and the ears of the deaf, that the tongues of the dumb were loosed, that the lame walked, and the maimed and also the lepers were healed, signified that such men as are represented by the blind, deaf, dumb, lame, maimed, and leprous, would receive the gospel and be spiritually healed, and this through the coming of the Lord into the world. Such are Divine miracles in their internal form.

But magical miracles involve nothing at all, being wrought by the evil to acquire power over others; yet they appear in the external form like Divine miracles, and this for the reason that they flow from order, and order appears alike in the ultimates where miracles are presented.

For example: the Divine truth proceeding from the Lord has in it all power, and hence it is that even in truths in the ultimates of order there is power; and therefore the evil acquire power and rule over others by means of truths.

Take also as an example the fact that in the other life it is according to order that states of affection and thought cause the idea of place and distance; and that the inhabitants appear distant from one another, so far as they are in a diverse state. This order is from the Divine, to the intent that all who are in the Grand Man may be distinct from one another.  Magicians in the other life abuse this order, for they induce on others changes of state, and in this way at one time transport them on high, and at another into the deep, and also cast them into societies where they may serve them as subjects; and so in countless other ways.

From all this it is evident that magical miracles, although in outward form similar to Divine miracles, nevertheless have within them a contrary end, namely, that of destroying the things of the church; whereas Divine miracles have within them the end of building up the things of the church. The case herein is like that of two beautiful women, one of whom is inwardly wholly rotten from whoredom, and the other absolutely pure within from chastity or genuine conjugial love. Their outward forms are alike, but their inward forms differ as do heaven and hell.

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And Moses said, Behold, I go out from thee, and I will intreat the LORD that the swarms of flies may depart from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people, to morrow: but let not Pharaoh deal deceitfully any more in not letting the people go to sacrifice to the LORD. (Exodus 8:29)

That He may remove the noisome fly from Pharaoh, from his servants, and from his people. That this signifies that there may be an end of this state in respect to the falsities of malevolence, is evident from the signification of "the noisome fly," as being falsities of malevolence; from the representation of Pharaoh, as being those who are in falsities from evils and infest; and from the signification of "his servants and his people," as being all and each. To remove these falsities of malevolence from all and each who infest, is to put an end to this state.

Be it known that each miracle done in Egypt signifies a peculiar state into which those come who are in falsities and infest in the other life. There are ten states into which they successively come before they are entirely stripped of all truth, thus before they are cast into hell. For they who are in the knowledge of faith, but in evil of life, are not after death at once brought into hell, but successively. They are first convinced that they are in evil, and afterward the knowledge of faith is taken away from them, and at last they are left to the evil of their life. This is effected by means of many successive states, and these states are what are described by the miracles done in Egypt, consequently by the evils which befell the Egyptians before they were immersed in the sea Suph. These secrets cannot be known without revelation, but with the angels they are among things well known.

For whosoever hath, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever hath not, from him shall be taken away even that he hath. (Matthew 13:12)

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And the LORD will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee. (Deuteronomy 7:15)

All the disease that I have put on the Egyptians, I will not put upon thee. That this signifies that they are to be withheld from the evils that pertain to those who are in faith separate and in a life of evil, is evident from the signification of "disease," as being evil (of which below); from the representation of the Egyptians, as being those who are in faith separate and in a life of evil; and from the signification of "not to put upon thee," when said of disease, by which evil is signified, as being that they are to be withheld from evil; for Jehovah, that is, the Lord, does not take away evil; but withholds man from it, and keeps him in good. From this it is that by "not to put disease upon them" is signified that they are to be withheld from evils.

That "disease" denotes evil, is because in the internal sense are signified such things as affect the spiritual life. The diseases which affect this life are evils, and are called cupidities and concupiscences. Faith and charity make the spiritual life. This life sickens when falsity takes the place of the truth which is of faith, and evil takes the place of the good which is of charity; for these bring this life unto death, which is called spiritual death, and is damnation, as diseases bring the natural life unto its death. Hence it is that by "disease" is signified in the internal sense evil; and by "the diseases of the Egyptians," the evils into which those cast themselves who had been in faith separate and in a life of evil, whereby they had infested the upright, which evils have been treated of in what precedes, where the plagues in Egypt were treated of.

Evils are also meant by "diseases" in other passages in the Word, as in Moses:

If thou wilt keep the commandments, and the statutes, and the judgments, which I command thee this day, Jehovah will remove from thee all sickness, and will not put upon thee all the evil weaknesses of Egypt, which thou hast known; but will give them upon thy haters (Deut. 7:11, 15).

If thou wilt not obey the voice of Jehovah thy God, by keeping to do all His commandments and His statutes, Jehovah will send on thee the curse, the disquiet, and the rebuke, in every putting forth of thy hand which thou doest, until thou be destroyed, because of the wickedness of thy works, whereby thou hast forsaken Me. Jehovah shall make the pestilence cleave unto thee, until He has consumed thee from upon the land; Jehovah shall smite thee with consumption, and with a hot fever, and with a burning fever, and with a raging fever, and with drought, and with blasting, and with jaundice, which shall pursue thee until thou perish: Jehovah shall smite thee with the ulcer of Egypt, and with the hemorrhoids, and with the scab, and with the itch, that thou canst not be healed. Jehovah shall smite thee with fury, and with blindness, and with amazement of heart. Thou shalt become mad from the look of thine eyes. Jehovah shall smite thee with a sore ulcer, upon the knees, and upon the thighs, whereof thou canst not be healed, from the sole of the foot unto the crown of thy head. He will throw back on thee all the weakness of Egypt, also every disease, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law. Jehovah shall give thee a trembling heart, consumption of eyes, and grief of soul (Deut. 28:15, 20-22, 27, 28, 34, 35, 60, 61, 65).

By all the diseases here named are signified spiritual diseases, which are evils destroying the life of the will of good, and falsities destroying the life of the understanding of truth; in a word, destroying the spiritual life which is of faith and charity. Moreover natural diseases correspond to such things, for every disease in the human race is from this source, because from sin.

Moreover every disease corresponds to its own evil; the reason is that everything of man's life is from the spiritual world; and therefore if his spiritual life sickens, evil is derived therefrom into the natural life also, and becomes a disease there. (See what has been said from experience about the correspondence of diseases with evils, n. 5711-5727.)

Like things are signified by "diseases" in other passages, as in Moses:

Ye shall worship Jehovah your God, that He may bless thy bread, and thy waters; and I will take disease away from the midst of thee (Exod. 23:25).

If ye shall reject My statutes, and if your soul loathe My judgments, so that ye will not do all My commandments, while ye make My covenant vain, I will enjoin terror upon you, with consumption, and with burning fever, that shall consume the eyes, and torment the soul (Lev. 26:15, 16)

signifying the decrease of truth, and the increase of falsity; "burning fever" denotes the cupidity of evil. Further in these passages:

Wherefore will ye add a going back? the whole head is diseased, and the whole heart faint. From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wound, and scar, and flesh blow, not pressed out, and not bandaged, and not mollified with oil (Isa. 1:5, 6)

that here by "disease," "wound," "scar," and "blow," are meant sins, is hidden from no one.

Woe to the shepherds of Israel, the feeble sheep have ye not strengthened, the sick one have ye not healed, and the broken one have ye not bandaged (Ezek. 34:2, 4).

Mine iniquities are gone over my head, my wounds have putrefied, they have consumed away, because of my foolishness, for my bowels are filled with burning, and there is no soundness in my flesh (Ps. 38:4, 5, 7).

As by "diseases" are signified the corruptions and evils of spiritual life, therefore by the various kinds of diseases are signified also the various kinds of corruptions and evils of that life. (That by "pestilence" is signified the vastation of good and truth; and by "leprosy," the profanation of truth.)

That in general by "diseases" are signified sins, can also be seen in Isaiah:

A man of sorrows, and known of disease; whence is as it were a hiding of faces from Him. He was despised, and we esteemed Him not: nevertheless He hath borne our diseases, and hath carried our griefs, and through His wounds health hath been given us (53:3-5)

speaking of the Lord.

As diseases represented the hurtful and evil things of the spiritual life, therefore by the diseases which the Lord healed is signified liberation from various kinds of evil and falsity which infested the church and the human race, and which would have led to spiritual death.

For Divine miracles are distinguished from other miracles by the fact that they involve and have regard to states of the church and of the heavenly kingdom. Therefore the Lord's miracles consisted chiefly in the healing of diseases. This is meant by the Lord's words to the disciples sent by John:

Tell John the things which ye hear and see: the blind see, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead rise again, and the poor hear the gospel (Matt. 11:4, 5).

Hence it is that it is so often said that the Lord "healed all disease and weakness" (Matt. 4:23; 9:35; 14:14, 35, 36; Luke 4:40; 5:15; 6:17; 7:21; Mark 1:32-34; 3:10).

(from Arcana Coelestia 9325:9, 10; 7337; 7465; 8364)