Concerning The Word (series) Pt. 1

Selection from Apocalypse Explained ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

In what now follows The Word and its holiness shall be treated of as a supplement.

It was said of old that the Word is from God, Divinely inspired, and thus holy, and yet it has not been known heretofore where in the Word the Divine is. For the Word appears in the letter like a common writing in a strange style, not so sublime or so lucid as appears in the writings of the present age. For this reason a man who worships nature more than God, or in place of God, and thus thinks from himself and what is his own [proprium], and not from the Lord out of heaven, can easily fall into error respecting the Word, and into contempt for it, saying in his heart when he reads it, "What is this? What is that? Is this Divine? Can God who has infinite wisdom speak in this manner? Where is its holiness, and from what source, unless from the religious persuasion whose ministers it serves?" And other like things.

But that they may know that the Word is Divine, not only in every sentence but also in every expression, its internal sense, which is spiritual, and which is in its external sense, which is natural, as a soul in its body, has now been revealed. This sense can bear witness to the Divinity and consequent holiness of the Word; and can convince even the natural man that the Word is Divine if he is willing to be convinced.

(to be continued)
(Apocalypse Explained 1065:3)

When Affection of Truth Fails

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

When they came to Marah, they could not drink of the waters of Marah, for they were bitter: therefore the name of it was called Marah. And the people murmured against Moses, saying, What shall we drink? (Exodus 15:23, 24)

What shall we drink? That this signifies that they could not endure truths because they were undelightful by reason of no affection of them, is evident from the signification of "drinking," as being to be instructed in truths and to receive them, and also to be affected with them, and consequently to appropriate them to oneself

Instruction in Truth

from the signification of "drinking," as being to be instructed. In the Word throughout mention is made of "drinking;" and where the good and truth of faith are treated of, there "drinking" signifies being instructed in them and receiving them.

As in Isaiah:

The new wine shall mourn, the vine languisheth, all the glad of heart shall sigh; they shall not drink wine with a song, strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it (Isa. 24:7, 9)

"not drinking wine with a song," denotes not being instructed from the affection of truth and not being delighted thereby; that "strong drink shall be bitter to them that drink it," denotes aversion.

In the same:

It shall be as when a thirsty one dreameth, and behold he drinketh; but he awaketh, and behold he is weary, and his soul hath appetite (Isa. 29:8)

a "thirsty one" denotes one who desires to be instructed; "drinking," being instructed, but in things that are vain.

In Jeremiah:

We have drunk our water for silver; our wood cometh for a price (Lam. 5:4)

"drinking waters for silver" denotes being instructed not without cost, and also attributing truth to one's self. That it is given free of cost, and thus that it is not from one's self, but from the Lord, is thus taught in Isaiah:

Ho everyone that thirsteth, come ye to the waters, and he that hath no silver; come ye, buy (Isa. 55:1)

Also in John:

Jesus said, If anyone thirst, let him come unto Me and drink; whosoever believeth in Me, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water (John 7:37-38)

where by "drinking" is signified being instructed, and receiving.

In Luke:

They shall say, We did eat and drink in Thy presence, and Thou didst teach in our streets; but the Lord says, I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me, all ye workers of iniquity (Luke 13:26-27)

where "eating and drinking in the Lord's presence," denotes instructing and preaching the good and truth of faith from knowledges that are from the Word, which is meant by the words, "Thou didst teach in our streets." But as they did this from themselves, for the sake of their own honor and gain, and thus from no affection of good and truth, and were thus in knowledges of truth but in a life of evil, it is said, "I know you not whence ye are; depart from Me all ye workers of iniquity."

In the same:

Jesus, speaking to the disciples, said, That ye may eat and drink at My table in My kingdom (Luke 22:30)

That they do not eat and drink in the kingdom of the Lord, and that there is no table there, is plain to everyone; so that by "eating and drinking at the Lord's table in His kingdom," something else is signified, namely, enjoying the perception of good and truth.

So too with what the Lord says in Matthew:

I say unto you, that I will not drink henceforth of this product of the vine, until that day when I shall drink it with you in My Father's kingdom (Matt. 26:29)

where "drinking" signifies instructing to the life concerning truths, and giving perception of good and truth.

These words of the Lord:

Be not anxious for your life [anima], what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink, nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on (Matt. 6:25, 31; Luke 12:29)

are significative of spiritual things, namely, that the all of faith as to good and truth is given by the Lord.

In John:

Jesus said to the woman of Samaria, Everyone that drinketh of this water shall thirst again; but whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall become in him a fountain of water springing up unto eternal life (John 4:7-14)

where "drinking" manifestly denotes being instructed in good and truth, and receiving them.

(from Arcana Coelestia 3069)

And they could not drink the waters for bitterness, because they were bitter. That this signifies that truths appeared to them undelightful, because devoid of the affection of good, is evident from the signification of "to drink the waters," as being to receive truths and apply them under good - from the signification of "waters," as being truths, and from the signification of "bitter," as being what is undelightful.

Hence it is evident that by "they could not drink the waters for bitterness, because they were bitter," is signified that truths appeared to them undelightful: that it denotes because devoid of the affection of good, is because all the delight of truth comes forth from good. That the affection of truth derives its origin from good is because good loves truth, and truth loves good, for these two are conjoined as in a marriage.

It is known that everyone desires to be instructed in those things which he loves and has as the end.

He who loves good, that is, who wills from the heart to worship God and to benefit his neighbor, loves to be instructed in those things which lead thereto, consequently in truths; from which it can be seen that all the affection of truth is from good.

There are indeed some who live in an evil manner, and yet desire to be instructed in truths, but with these there is no affection of truth, but only the affection of confirming the doctrinal things of the church for the sake of self-glory, that is, for the sake of reputation, honors, or gain.

The genuine affection of truth is to wish to know what is true for the sake of the life in the world, and for the sake of life eternal.

These come into temptation when truths begin to fail them, and more when the truths which they know appear undelightful. This temptation derives its origin from the fact that the communication with good has been intercepted. This communication is intercepted as soon as the man comes into his own, for he thus sinks down into the evil of the love of self, or of the world. When he emerges from this state, truths become delightful. This is meant in what follows by the bitter waters being healed by means of the wood cast into them, for by "wood" is signified good.

(from Arcana Coelestia 8349)

This temptation consists in the fact that they complain and grieve because the truths which had previously been delightful to them, and which thus had made their spiritual life or life of heaven, now seem undelightful to them, insomuch that they can scarcely endure them.

The merely natural man would not believe that such a thing could cause any grief, for he thinks, "What is it to me whether truths are delightful or not? If they are undelightful let them be rejected." But the spiritual man has very different sentiments. It is the delight of his life to be instructed in truths, and to be enlightened in such things as belong to his soul, thus to his spiritual life. Therefore when these fail, his spiritual life labors and suffers, and grief and anxiety ensue. The reason is that the affection of good is continually flowing in through the internal man from the Lord, and calling forth the accordant things in the external man which had previously caused the delight of the affection of truth; and when these things are assaulted by the evils of the love of self and of the world, which the man had also previously perceived as delightful, there arises a conflict of delights or of affections, from which springs anxiety, and from this grief and complaint.

How the case is with the temptation that arises through a failing of truth

The nourishment of the spiritual life is good and truth, as the nourishment of the natural life is food and drink. If good fails, it is as if food fails; and if truth fails, it is as if drink fails. The consequent grief is circumstanced like the grief from hunger and thirst. This comparison is from correspondence, for food corresponds to good, and drink to truth; and as there is a correspondence, food and drink also nourish the body better and more suitably when a man at dinner or at breakfast is at the same time in the delight of conversation with others about such things as he loves, than when he sits at table alone without company. When a man is in this state, the vessels in him that receive the food are constricted; but when he is in the first mentioned state, they are open.

Such things are effected by the correspondence of spiritual food and natural food.

It is said "the delight of conversation with others about such things as he loves," because everything of this kind has relation to good and truth; for there is nothing in the world which has not relation to both.

What a man loves, has relation to the good with him; and what instructs him about good, and thus conjoins itself with it, has relation to the truth.

(from Arcana Coelestia 8352)

The Reduction of Truth into Order, and its Vivification

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

To deprive truth of self-derived life — depriving truth of life is not extinguishing it, but vivifying it

So Esau hated Jacob because of the blessing with which his father blessed him, and Esau said in his heart, The days of mourning for my father are at hand; then I will kill my brother Jacob. (Genesis 27:41)

The days of mourning for my father draw near, and I will kill Jacob my brother. That this signifies the inversion and privation of the self-derived life of truth, is evident from the signification of "days of mourning," as being the inversion of the state; and from the signification of "killing Jacob his brother," as being to deprive truth of self-derived life.

The same may be seen from what is continually taking place in the other life, where all the good that flows down from heaven to those who are in evil is turned into evil, and with the infernals into the opposite; in like manner truth into falsity.  Therefore, on the other hand the evil and falsity that is with such spirits is in heaven good and truth, and in order that it may become good, there are spirits in the way who reject the ideas of evil and falsity, so that the idea of good and truth may be presented.

Moreover when that which is evil and false approaches those who are in good and truth, it does not appear as evil and falsity, but under another form in accordance with the nature and state of their goodness.

From this it is evident that in the internal sense to "kill Jacob the brother" is not to kill, but is a privation of that life which is not compatible with truth; for truth has no life of itself, but from good, inasmuch as truth is only a vessel recipient of good; and that in good there is life, but not in truth, except that which is from good. Wherefore the privation of the self-derived life of truth is not the extinction of truth, but its vivification; for when truth appears to itself to have life from itself, then it has no life, except such life as in itself is not life; but when it is deprived of this, it is then gifted with real life, namely, through good from the Lord, who is life itself.

This plainly appears from those who are in the other life. With such as are in truth alone, the ideas appear closed, so that those things which are of heaven cannot flow in, except only in a manner so general that the influx is scarcely known to be from heaven. Whereas with such as are at the same time in good, their ideas appear open, so that the things which are of heaven flow in as into a heaven in miniature, or as into an image of themselves - for they flow in by means of the good that is in them through truths.

Truth is deprived of self-derived life when good begins to be in the prior place, or to have the dominion.

The reason why these things are called the "mourning for a father," is that days of mourning signify inversion of state, which inversion of state was signified above by the exceeding great shuddering with which Isaac shuddered, and by the great and exceeding bitter cry with which Esau cried out.

(from Arcana Coelestia 3607)

The Purpose to Invert

And the words of Esau her older son were told to Rebekah. So she sent and called Jacob her younger son, and said to him, Surely your brother Esau comforts himself concerning you by intending to kill you. (Genesis 27:42)

Behold Esau thy brother comforteth himself concerning thee to kill thee. That this signifies the purpose to invert the state and deprive truth of self-derived life, is evident from the signification of "comforting one's self" for anyone, as being to appease unrest of mind with hope concerning anyone, or concerning anything, "concerning thee" implying the inversion of the state of truth, and from the signification of "to kill thee," that is, Jacob, as being to deprive truth of self-derived life, where it was shown that depriving truth of life is not extinguishing it, but vivifying it.

For the case with respect to the life of truth is this:

When they who are in truth, or in the affection of truth, do not live according to the truth which they know and with which they are affected, there is then somewhat of pleasure and delight derived from the love of self or the love of the world, which has adjoined itself to the affection of truth, and which appears as good, when yet it is not good, except as regards the use, in that - truths may thus be introduced and learned - which afterwards may be serviceable to real good and its life. When truth is in this state, that is, they who are in the affection of truth, then truth is said to have self-derived life, which is not life, as is evident from the fact that in the love of self, and the love of the world, or in their pleasure and delight, there is not life; but in celestial and spiritual love, and in their delight and pleasure. Therefore when truth, that is, they who are in such an affection of truth, are deprived of that life, they then for the first time receive life, or are then for the first time vivified.

These things cannot possibly be apprehended by those who are in the affection of self and of the world, for they believe that no other life is possible; consequently that if they should be deprived of that life, they would altogether cease to live - for they who are in that life can in no wise know what spiritual and heavenly life is. When yet the fact is that when they are deprived of that life of the affection of self and of the world, then life flows in from the Lord such as is the angelic and heavenly life, together with ineffable wisdom and happiness; and when the former life is viewed from this life, it appears as no life, or as the unclean life of brute animals, inasmuch as there is nothing of the Divine therein, except that they can think and speak, and thus appear in external form like others.

In respect to the circumstance that good had the purpose to invert the state and deprive truth of self-derived life, which is signified by Esau comforting himself for Jacob to kill him, the case is this:

with a man who is being regenerated, the good in him is continually in the purpose to invert the state, and to reduce it into such order that truth may not be in the prior place, but in the posterior; as is consonant with the state of heaven. But this purpose lies deeply concealed, nor is it observed until the purpose has been effected.

The case herein is as it is with conjugial love, which does not appear during infancy and childhood, but still lies hidden within; nor does it come forth until each and all things have been so disposed that it can manifest itself; meanwhile it produces all means that are suited to itself; that is, they are produced.

The case is the same in the vegetable kingdom: in every tree and in every plant there lies inmostly concealed an endeavor to produce fruits or seeds; but this endeavor cannot manifest itself until it has first produced all the means, namely, branches, leaves, and flowers, which being produced the endeavor comes forth into act.

So also is it with those who are born anew:

the conjugial principle of good and truth long lies hidden within; but still it is present as an endeavor in the efficient cause and thence in the effect; yet it does not appear until all things have been disposed into order; and when they have been so disposed, it for the first time comes forth and manifests itself.

It is this endeavor which is meant by the purpose to invert the state and deprive truth of self-derived life.

(from Arcana Coelestia 3610)