April 1, 2021

The Temptations the Lord Sustained

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Evil spirits are those who make the assault.

The Lord never began the combat with any hell, but the hells assaulted Him; as is also the case with every man who is in temptation, or In combat with evil spirits.

In man's case, the angels never make the assault, but always and continually the evil or infernal spirits do so; the angels only ward off and defend. This comes from the Lord, who never desires to bring evil upon anyone, or to thrust him down into hell, even if he were the worst and the most bitter enemy of all; but it is he who brings the evil upon himself, and precipitates himself into hell. This also follows from the nature of evil, and from the nature of good.
It is the nature of evil to desire to maltreat everyone; but that of good to desire to maltreat no one.
The evil are in their very life when they are assaulting; for they continually desire to destroy. The good are in their very life when they are assaulting no one, and when they can be of use in defending others from evils.                                                                                                          (from Arcana Coelestia 1683)
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The Temptations The Lord Sustained —

In the internal sense the temptations are treated of that the Lord sustained in His childhood, concerning which nothing is related in the Word of the New Testament, except concerning His temptation in the wilderness, or soon after He came out of the wilderness, and finally concerning His last temptation in Gethsemane and what then followed.

The Lord's life, from His earliest childhood even to the last hour of His life in the world, was continual temptation and continual victory, is evident from many things in the Word of the Old Testament; and that it did not cease with the temptation in the wilderness is evident from what is said in Luke:
And when the devil had completed every temptation, he departed from Him for a season (Luke 4:13)
as also from the fact that He was tempted even to the death on the cross, and thus to the last hour of His life in the world. Hence it is evident that the whole of the Lord's life in the world, from His earliest childhood, was continual temptation and continual victory. The last was when He prayed on the cross for His enemies, and thus for all in the whole world.

In the Word of the Lord's life, in the Gospels, none but the last is mentioned, except His temptation in the wilderness. More were not disclosed to the disciples. The things that were disclosed appear in the sense of the letter so slight as to be scarcely anything; for to speak and to answer in this manner is no temptation, when yet His temptation was more grievous than can ever be comprehended and believed by any human mind. No one can know what temptation is except the one who has been in it. The temptation that is related in Matthew 4:1-11; Mark 1:12-13; Luke 4:1-13, contains all temptations in a summary; namely, that from love toward the whole human race, the Lord fought against the loves of self and of the world, with which the hells were filled.
All temptation is an assault upon the love in which the man is, and the temptation is in the same degree as is the love. If the love is not assaulted, there is no temptation.
To destroy anyone's love is to destroy his very life; for the love is the life.
The Lord's life was love toward the whole human race, and was indeed so great, and of such a quality, as to be nothing but pure love. Against this His life, continual temptations were admitted, as before said, from His earliest childhood to His last hour in the world. The love which was the Lord's veriest life is signified by His "hungering," and by the devil's saying, If Thou art the Son of God, command this stone that it be made bread and by Jesus answering that man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word of God (Luke 4:2-4; Matt. 4:2-4).

That He fought against the love of the world, or all things that are of the love of the world, is signified by: The devil took Him up into a high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, and said unto Him, All this power will I give Thee and the glory of them, for it hath been delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will, I give it; if Thou therefore wilt worship before me, all shall be Thine. But Jesus answered and said unto him, Get thee behind Me, Satan; for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and Him only shalt thou serve (Luke 4:5-8; Matt 4:8-10).

That He fought against the love of self, and all things that are of the love of self, is signified by this: The devil took Him into the holy city, and set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said unto Him, If Thou art the Son of God, cast Thyself down for it is written, He shall give His angels charge concerning Thee, and upon their hands they shall bear Thee up, lest Thou dash Thy foot against a stone. Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God (Matt. 4:5-7; Luke 4:9-12). Continual victory is signified by its being said that after the temptations, "angels came and ministered unto Him" (Matt. 4:11; Mark 1:13).

In brief, the Lord from His earliest childhood up to the last hour of His life in the world, was assaulted by all the hells, against which He continually fought, and subjugated and overcame them, and this solely from love toward the whole human race. And because this love was not human but Divine, and because such as is the greatness of the love, such is that of the temptation, it may be seen how grievous the combats were, and how great the ferocity on the part of the hells. That all this was so, I know of a certainty.      (from Arcana Coelestia 1690)

That "the mountain" means the love of self and the love of the world, may be seen from the signification of a "mountain," concerning which presently. All evil and falsity come forth from the love of self and the love of the world; they have no other origin; for the love of self and the love of the world are the opposites of celestial love and spiritual love; and because they are the opposites, they are what are continually endeavoring to destroy the celestial and spiritual things of the kingdom of God. From the love of self and of the world come forth all hatreds; from hatreds, all revenges and cruelties; and from these, all deceits; in short, all the hells..

That in the Word by "mountains" there is signified the love of self and the love of the world, may be seen from the following passages.

In Isaiah:
The proud eyes of man shall be humbled and the loftiness of men shall be brought low. The day of Jehovah Zebaoth is upon all that is proud and lofty, upon all the high mountains, and upon all the hills that are lifted up, and upon every lofty tower (Isa. 2:11-12, 14-15)
the "high mountains" plainly denote the love of self; and the "hills that are lifted up," the love of the world.

Again:
Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low (Isa. 40:4)
here also "mountain and hill" manifestly denote the love of self and the love of the world.

Again:
I will lay waste mountains and hills, and dry up all their herbage (Isa. 42:15);
where also "mountains" denote the love of self, and "hills" the love of the world. In Ezekiel:
The mountains shall be thrown down, and the steep places shall fall, and every wall shall fall to the earth (Ezek. 38:20).
In Jeremiah:
Behold I am against thee, O destroying mountain, which destroyest all the earth; and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and roll thee down from the rocks, and will make thee a mountain of burning (Jer. 51:25);
where Babel and Chaldea are spoken of, by which is signified the love of self and of the world, as before shown.

In the Song of Moses:
A fire is kindled in Mine anger, and shall burn unto the lowest hell, and shall devour the earth and her increase, and set on fire the foundations of the mountains (Deut. 32:22)
"the foundations of the mountains" mean the hells, as is plainly said; these are called the foundations of the mountains, because the love of self and the love of the world reign in them, and are from them.

In Jonah:
The waters compassed me about, even to the soul; the deep was round about me; the seaweed was wrapped about my head; I went down to the cuttings-off of the mountains; the bars of the earth were upon me forever; yet hast Thou brought up my lives from the pit, O Jehovah my God (Jonah 2:5-6)
the Lord's temptations against the hells are thus prophetically described by Jonah, when he was in the belly of the great fish. So likewise in other passages of the Word, especially in David. He who is in temptations is in the hells; place has nothing to do with being in the hells, but state.

As "mountains" and "towers" signify the love of self and of the world, it may be seen what is signified by the Lord's being taken by the devil "upon a high mountain," and "upon a pinnacle of the temple," namely, that He was led into temptation combats, the most extreme of all, against the loves of self and of the world, that is, against the hells. "Mountains" also, in the opposite sense, signify celestial and spiritual love.                               (from Arcana Coelestia 1691)
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Scarcely anyone can know what temptations, or combats of temptations, effect. They are the means by which evils and falsities are broken up and dispersed, and by which horror of them is induced; and not only is conscience given, but it is also strengthened thereby, and so the man is regenerated, which is the reason why they who are being regenerated are let into combats, and undergo temptations; and they who do not undergo them in the life of the body, do so in the other life, if they are capable of being regenerated, on which account the Lord's church is called militant. But the Lord alone sustained the most cruel combats of temptations by His own strength or His own power; for He was surrounded by all the hells, and continually conquered them.

It is the Lord alone also who fights in the men who are in the combats of temptations, and who overcomes. Man from his own power can effect nothing at all against evil or infernal spirits; for they are so connected with the hells that if one were overcome, another would rush in, and so on forever. They are like the sea which presses upon every part of a dike; and if the dike should be broken through by a cleft or a crack, the sea would never cease to burst through and overflow, until nothing was left standing. So would it be with man unless the Lord alone sustained in him the combats of temptations.

(from Arcana Coelestia 1692)

March 31, 2021

The Passion of the Cross

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

The Lord Himself sanctified Himself to the Divine, that is, united His Human to His Divine by the combats and victories of temptations.

It is a common belief at this day that the burnt-offerings and sacrifices signified the Lord's passion, and that by this the Lord made expiation for the iniquities of all; indeed, that He took them upon Himself, and thus bore them; and that those who believe are in this manner justified and saved, provided they think, even though it were in the last hour before death, that the Lord suffered for them, no matter how they may have lived during the whole course of their life.

But the case is not really so:
The passion of the cross was the extremity of the Lord's temptation, by which He fully united His Human to His Divine and His Divine to His Human, and thus glorified Himself. This very union is the means by which those who have the faith in Him which is the faith of charity, can be saved. For the supreme Divine Itself could no longer reach to the human race, which had removed itself so far from the celestial things of love and the spiritual things of faith, that men no longer even acknowledged them, and still less perceived them. In order therefore that the supreme Divine might be able to come down to man in such a state, the Lord came into the world and united His Human to the Divine in Himself; which union could not be effected otherwise than by the most grievous combats of temptations and by victories, and at length by the last, which was that of the cross.
Hence it is that the Lord can from His Divine Human illumine minds, even those far removed from the celestial things of love, provided they are in the faith of charity. For the Lord in the other life appears to the celestial angels as a Sun, and to the spiritual as a Moon, whence comes all the light of heaven. This light of heaven is of such a nature that when it illumines the sight of spirits and angels, it also illumines their understanding at the same time.

This is inherent in that light, so that in heaven so much as anyone has of external light, so much has he of internal light, that is, so much of understanding; which shows wherein the light of heaven differs from the light of the world.
It is the Lord's Divine Human which illuminates both the sight and the understanding of the spiritual; which would not take place if the Lord had not united His Human Essence to His Divine Essence; and if He had not united them, man in the world would no longer have had any capacity of understanding and perceiving what is good and true, nor indeed would a spiritual angel in heaven have had any; so that they would have had nothing of blessedness and happiness, consequently nothing of salvation.
From this we can see that the human race could not have been saved unless the Lord had assumed the Human and glorified it.

Hence then anyone may infer what truth there is in the idea that men are saved if they only think from a kind of interior emotion that the Lord suffered for them, and took away their sins, however they may have lived; whereas the light of heaven from the Lord's Divine Human cannot reach to any but those who live in the good of faith, that is, in charity; or what is the same, those who have conscience. The very plane into which that light can operate, or the receptacle of that light, is the good of faith, or charity, and thus conscience.

(Arcana Coelestia 2776)

March 29, 2021

Concerning Man's Resurrection

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Man has been so created that he cannot die in respect to his Internal, because he is able to believe in God and also to love God, and thus to be conjoined with God in faith and love; and to be conjoined with God is to live forever.

This Internal is in every man who is born. His External is that by means of which he brings into effect the things that belong to faith and love, thus that belong to the Internal. The Internal is what is called the "soul," and the External is what is called the "body."

The external which man carries about in the world has been accommodated to uses in the world. This external is what is laid aside when the man dies; but the external which has been accommodated to uses in the other life does not die. This latter external together with the internal is called a "spirit;" a good spirit and an angel if the man had been good in the world; and an evil spirit if he had been evil.

In the other life the spirit of man appears in the human form absolutely as in the world. He also enjoys the capability of seeing, of hearing, of speaking, and of feeling, as in the world; and is endowed with every capability of thinking, of willing, and of acting, as in the world. In a word, he is a man in respect to each and all things, except that he is not encompassed with that gross body with which he was encompassed in the world. This he leaves behind when he dies, nor does he ever resume it.

It is this continuation of life which is meant by Resurrection. The reason why men believe that they will not rise again until the Last Judgment, when also every visible thing of the world will perish, is that they have not understood the Word, and that sensuous men place the very life itself in the body, and believe that unless this were to live again it would be all over with man.

The life of man after death is the life of his love, and the life of his faith; consequently such as has been his love, and such as has been his faith, during his life in the world, such his life remains forever. The life of hell is for those who have loved themselves and the world above all things; and the life of heaven for those who have loved God above all things and the neighbor as themselves. These are they who have faith; but the former are they who have not faith. The life of heaven is what is called eternal life; and the life of hell is what is called spiritual death.

The Word teaches that man lives after death, as where it is said that "God is not the God of the dead but of the living" (Matt 22:32); that after death Lazarus was taken up into heaven, but the rich man was cast into hell (Luke 16:22, 23); that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are there (Matt. 8:11; 22:32; Luke 16:23-25, 29); that Jesus said to the thief, "This day shalt thou be with Me in paradise" (Luke 23:43); and in other places.

(Arcana Coelestia 10591 - 10597)

March 26, 2021

Remembering Man's Liberation from Hell

Selection from Arcana Coelestia ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

Because in the month Abib thou wentest forth from Egypt. (Exodus 34:18)
That this signifies because there was then liberation from hell, is evident from the signification of "the month Abib," as being the beginning of a new state and from the signification of "going forth from Egypt," as being liberation from infestation by falsities, thus also from hell. From all this it can be seen that the feast of the passover, which was also called the feast of unleavened things, was instituted in remembrance of man's liberation from hell by the Lord.

This liberation was effected by the Lord's subjugating the hells and glorifying His Human.
The feast of unleavened things shalt thou keep. That this signifies the worship of the Lord and thanksgiving on account of liberation from evil and from the falsities of evil, is evident from the signification of a "feast," as being worship and thanksgiving and from the signification of "unleavened things," as being things purified from evil and from the falsities of evil. Consequently, by "the feast of unleavened things" is signified worship and thanksgiving on account of liberation from evil and from the falsities of evil.
As regards this feast, be it known that it properly signifies the glorification of the Lord's Human, thus the remembrance of this and thanksgiving on account of it, for by means of this glorification and the subjugation of the hells by the Lord, man has liberation from evils and salvation. For the Lord glorified His Human by combats against the hells and at the same time by continual victories over them. The last combat and victory was on the cross; wherefore He then fully glorified Himself, as He also teaches in these passages:
After Judas had gone out, Jesus said, Now hath the Son of man been glorified, and God hath been glorified in Him. If God hath been glorified in Him, God shall also glorify Him in Himself, and shall straightway glorify Him (John 13:31, 32).
Jesus lifted up His eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come; glorify Thy Son, that Thy Son also may glorify Thee. Now, O Father, glorify Thou Me with [apud] Thine own self, with the glory which I had with Thee before the world was (John 17:1, 5).
Ought not Christ to suffer these things, and to enter into His glory? (Luke 24:26).
"To glorify the Son of man" denotes to make the Human Divine. It is evident that these things were said concerning His passion of the cross.

That by this last combat, which was the passion of the cross, He fully subjugated the hells, the Lord also teaches in John:
Jesus said, The hour is come that the Son of man should be glorified. Now is My soul troubled. And He said, Father, glorify Thy name; and there went forth a voice out of heaven, saying, I have both glorified, and will glorify again.
And Jesus said, Now is the judgement of this world; now shall the prince of this world be cast out. And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto Me. This He said, signifying by what manner of death He should die (John 12:23, 27, 28, 31-33).
Hell in the whole complex is what is called "the prince of the world," and "the devil." From all this it is evident that by the passion of the cross the Lord not only conquered and subjugated the hells, but also fully glorified His Human. From this comes salvation to the human race. For the sake of this also the Lord came into the world, as He likewise teaches in John 12:27:
Now is my soul troubled; and what shall I say? Father, save me from this hour: but for this cause came I unto this hour.
It was for the remembrance of this that the feast of unleavened things or of the passover was primarily instituted, and therefore at this feast He rose again.
That it was also for the sake of liberation from evil and from the falsities of evil, is because all liberation from evil is by means of the subjugation of the hells by the Lord, and by means of the glorification of His Human; and without these there is none. For man is directed by the Lord by means of spirits from hell, and by means of angels out of heaven; and therefore unless the hells had been completely subjugated, and unless the Human of the Lord had been completely united to the Divine Itself, and thus also made Divine, no man could possibly have been liberated from hell and saved, for the hells would always have prevailed, because man has become such that from himself he thinks nothing else than what belongs to hell. From this it is evident whence it is that by the same feast is signified worship and thanksgiving on account of liberation from evil and from the falsities of evil.                             (Arcana Coelestia 10655)
It is believed by most persons within the church that the Lord came into the world in order to reconcile the Father by the passion of the cross, and that afterward those might be accepted for whom He should intercede, and also that He released man from damnation by His having alone fulfilled the law, which otherwise would have condemned everyone; and thus that all would be saved who held this faith with confidence and trust. But those who are in any enlightenment from heaven are able to see that it would not be possible for the Divine, which is Love itself and Mercy itself, to cast away the human race from itself and condemn it to hell; nor that it had to be reconciled by its Son's passion of the cross; and that in this way and in no other way it was moved with mercy; and that henceforth the life would not condemn anyone provided he had a confident faith in this reconciliation; and that all salvation is effected from mercy through faith. Those who so think and believe can see nothing at all. They speak, but understand nothing. They therefore call these things mysteries, which are to be believed, but not apprehended by any understanding. From this it follows that all enlightenment from the Word is rejected that shows the case to be otherwise, because light from heaven cannot enter where there reigns so great a shadow from things that are contradictory to each other. That which is not understood at all is called a "shadow."

But to those who are in enlightenment the Lord grants that they shall understand what they believe; and when they are reading the Word, those are enlightened and understand it, who acknowledge the Lord and love to live according to His commandments; but not those who say that they believe, and do not live; for the Lord flows into the life of man and from this into his faith, but not into faith separate from life. Consequently, those who are enlightened by the Lord through the Word understand that the Lord came into the world in order to subjugate the hells, and reduce into order all things there and in the heavens; and that this could not possibly be done except by means of the Human; for from this He could fight against the hells; but not from the Divine without the Human; and also that He might glorify His Human in order that He might thereby forever keep all things in the order into which He had reduced them. From this comes the salvation of man, for the hells are round every man, because everyone is born into evils of every kind, and where evils are, there are the hells; and unless these were cast back by the Divine power of the Lord, no one could ever have been saved. That this is so the Word teaches, and all those apprehend who admit the Lord into their life; and these as before said are those who acknowledge Him, and love to live according to His commandments.

To be withdrawn from evils, to be regenerated, and thus to be saved, is mercy, which is not, as is believed, immediate, but mediate, that is, for those who desist from evils, and so admit from the Lord the truth of faith and the good of love into their life. Immediate mercy, namely, such as would be for everyone merely at God's good pleasure, is contrary to Divine order; and that which is contrary to Divine order is contrary to God, because order is from God, and His Divine in heaven is order. To receive order into one's self is to be saved, and this is effected solely by living according to the Lord's commandments. Man is regenerated to the end that he may receive into himself the order of heaven, and he is regenerated by means of faith and the life of faith, which is charity. He who has order in himself is in heaven, and also is heaven in a certain image; but he who has it not is in hell, and is hell in a certain image. The one cannot possibly be changed and transferred into the other by immediate mercy, for they are opposites, because evil is opposite to good, and in good there are life and heaven, but in evil there are death and hell. That the one cannot be transferred into the other is taught by the Lord in Luke:
Abraham said unto the rich man in hell, Between us and you there is a great gulf fixed; so that those who would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can those who are there pass over to us (Luke 16:26).
Moreover, if immediate mercy were possible, all in the world would be saved, without exception, and there would be no hell, for the Lord is mercy itself, because He is love itself, which wills the salvation of all, and the death of no one.

(Arcana Coelestia 10659)

March 24, 2021

Arcana of Names in the Word

Selection from Apocalypse Explained ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

When one knows that all names in the Word signify things, and that the names of the twelve sons of Jacob, or of the twelve tribes, signify all truths and goods of the church in the complex, and in like manner, the names of the twelve disciples of the Lord, and that "Peter," "James," and "John" signify faith, charity, and the good of charity, he can see many arcana in the Word.

As for example, why: The Lord gave the name Peter to Simon, and to James and John the name Boanerges, which means sons of thunder (Mark 3:16-17). For "Peter," like petra [rock], signifies the Lord as to truth from good, or faith from charity, and "sons of thunder" signify those who from affection, which is of love, receive the truths of heaven.

I will here mention some arcana that may be seen by those who are aware that "Peter" signifies faith, and "John" the good of charity.

First, why the Lord said to Peter: I also say unto thee, Thou art Peter, and upon this rock will I build My church; and I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of the heavens (Matt. 16:18-19). It appears from the letter, as if that power was given to Peter, when in fact no power was given to Peter; but it was so said to him because "Peter" signified truth from good, which is from the Lord; and truth from good, which is from the Lord, has all power, thus the Lord has all power from good through truth.

A second arcanum that may be seen, when it is known that "Peter" signifies faith, is, why the Lord said to him, that: Before the cock crowed, he would deny Him thrice; which also came to pass (Matt. 26:34 seq.). By these words is signified, that in the last time of the church there would be no faith in the Lord, because no charity; for "cock-crowing," as well as "twilight," signifies the last time of the church, and "three" or "thrice," signifies what is complete to the end.

A third arcanum that may be seen is what is signified by the following words concerning Peter and John: Jesus saith to Peter, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Feed My lambs. He saith to him again a second time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? He saith unto Him, Yea, Lord, thou knowest that I love Thee. He saith unto him, Tend My sheep. He saith unto him the third time, Simon, son of Jonas, lovest thou Me? Peter was grieved because He said unto him the third time, Lovest thou Me? And he saith unto Him, Lord, thou knowest all things; thou knowest that I love Thee. Jesus saith unto him, Feed My sheep. Verily, verily, I say unto thee, when thou wast younger, thou girdest thyself, and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou shall be old, thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee, and bear thee whither thou wouldest not. And when He had thus spoken, He saith unto him, Follow Me. Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved, following, and he saith, Lord, What shall this one [do]? Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me (John 21:15-22). What these things signify no one can know unless he knows the internal sense, and knows that "Peter" signifies faith, and "John" the good of charity, thus that "Peter" signifies those in the church who are in faith, and "John" those who are in the good of charity. That Jesus said to Peter three times, "Lovest thou Me?" and that Peter said three times. "Thou knowest that I love Thee," and that Jesus then said, "Feed My lambs," and "Feed My sheep," signifies that those who are in faith from love, ought to instruct those who are in the good of love to the Lord, and in the good of charity towards the neighbor; for those who are in faith from love are also in truths, and those who from this are in truths, instruct concerning good, and lead to good; for all spiritual good that a man has, is gained and implanted by truths.

Faith, as it was to be in the first period of the church and as it was to be in the last, is then described by the Lord. The first period of the church is meant by "when thou wast younger," and its last by "when thou shalt be old." That when Peter "was younger he girded himself and walked whither he would," signifies that in the first period of the church, men would imbibe truths from the good of charity and would act from freedom; for to act from freedom is to act from the affection of truth from good. "When thou shalt be old thou shalt stretch forth thy hands, and another shall gird thee and lead thee whither thou wouldest not," signifies that in the last period of the church, they would no longer imbibe truths from the good of charity, thus would not know them in any other way than as declared by another; and thus would be in a servile state; for a servile state ensues when good does not lead.

Since, in the last period of the church, faith becomes such that it rejects the good of charity, saying that faith alone constitutes the church and is saving, and not the good of life which is charity.  Jesus said to Peter, by whom such faith is here meant, "Follow Me; and Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved, following; and he saith, Lord, what shall this one [do]?" By this is signified that faith, in the last period of the church, would turn itself away from the Lord; for it is said of Peter, by whom such faith is signified, that "turning about, he saw;" also that he said of the disciple whom Jesus loved, or of John, by whom is signified the good of charity, "what shall this one [do]?" that is, that he is not anything. But Jesus said to him, "If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? Follow thou Me." By this is signified that the good of charity will follow the Lord, and will acknowledge Him, even to the last period of the old church, and the first of the new. (That the last period of the old church is called "the consummation of the age," and the beginning of the new church "the coming of the Lord."

A fourth arcanum that may be seen is, why the Lord loved John above the rest of the disciples, and consequently why John lay on the breast or in the bosom of the Lord (John 13:23; 21:20); namely, because the good of love was what the Lord saw when He beheld John, who represented and signified that good; since it is that good that constitutes heaven and the church.

A fifth arcanum is manifest when it is known that John represented the good of love, namely, what is signified by the words of the Lord from the cross to the mother Mary and to John: When Jesus therefore seeth His mother, and the disciple standing by whom He loved, He saith unto His mother, Woman, behold thy son. Then He saith to the disciple, Behold thy mother. And from that hour the disciple took her unto his own home (John 19:26, 27). By "mother" and by "woman" is here meant the church, and by "John" the good of charity; and by the things here said, that the church will be where the good of charity is.

From this it can now be seen how great arcana lie concealed in the Word, which are laid open to those only who know its internal or spiritual sense. Apart from that sense it cannot be known, moreover, what is signified when it is said: That the apostles shall sit upon twelve thrones, and shall judge the twelve tribes of Israel (Matt. 19:28; Luke 22:30). By "apostles" here are meant not apostles, but all truths from good, which are from the Lord; thus by these words is signified that the Lord alone will judge all from truths that are from good, thus that everyone will be judged according to those truths.

(from Apocalypse Explained 9)

March 21, 2021

Power From the Lord Against Evils and Falsities

Selection from Apocalypse Explained ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

For thou hast some power, and hast kept My word, and hast not denied My name . . . (Revelation 3:8)
This signifies that they have power from the Lord against evils and falsities, in the measure in which they make truths from the Word to be of the life, and acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human.

This is evident from the signification of "having power," as being power from the Lord against evils and falsities; and as those who are in faith from charity are treated of, it is said that they "have some power" (of which presently). It is evident also from the signification of "to keep My word," as being to make truths from the Word to be of the life; for to keep truths or commandments means not only to know and perceive them but also to will and do them, that is to keep them. Those who will and do, make the truths that they know and perceive from the Word to be of their life.
And keep the things which are written therein, signifies from the love of truth. This is evident from the signification of "observing" and "keeping," as being to perceive, to will, and to do according thereto, here according to the doctrine of heaven; and from the signification of "the things which are written therein," as being, from the love of truth, or from the delight of that love; for what is done from love is done from delight; delight is from no other source. This is signified by "the things which are written therein," because the things contained in the doctrine of heaven are written on the heart, and thus on the life, of those here described; and things written on the heart and life are written on the love; for "heart" in the Word signifies love (Arcana Coelestia, n. 7542, 9050, 10336). The love of truth is meant, because these things are said of the doctrine of heaven, and the doctrine of heaven is from truths. In the Word frequent mention is made of observing and keeping the precepts, the commandments, the words, and the law: and by observing and keeping is there signified to understand, to will, and to do, as in Matthew:
Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I commanded you (Matt. 28:20);
in Luke:
Blessed are they that hear the Word of God and keep it (Luke 11:28);
in John:
Verily, verily, I say unto you, if anyone keep My word he shall never see death (John 8:51);
in the same:
If any one love Me he will keep My word: He that loveth Me not, keepeth not My words (John 14:15, 23-24);
and in the same:
If ye keep My commandments ye shall abide in My love. Ye are My friends if ye do the things which I command you (John 15:10, 14).
To do is to will, and to will is to do; because in deeds the will is everything.
(Apocalypse Explained 15).
It is evident also from the signification of "not denying My name," as being to acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human.
And thou holdest My name, signifies the acknowledgment of the Divine in the Human of the Lord, as well as all things of love to Him and faith in Him. This is evident from what has been shown above about the signification of the "name" of Jehovah, Lord, and Jesus Christ (n. 102). By the Lord's "name" in the Word is meant primarily the acknowledgment of the Divine in His Human, because all things of love and faith are from that; for Divine goods which are of love, and Divine truths which are of faith, proceed from no other source than from the Lord alone; and these cannot flow in with man unless he thinks of the Lord's Divine at the same time that he thinks of His Human; nor is His Divine separate from the Human, but it is in the Human. ... I can aver, from all experience of the spiritual world, that no one is in the truths of faith and in the goods of love except he who thinks of the Lord's Divine at the same time that he thinks of His Human; as also that no one is spiritual, or is an angel, unless he has been in that thought and consequent acknowledgment in the world. Man must needs be conjoined to the Divine by his faith and love in order to be saved; and all conjunction is with the Lord; and to be conjoined to His Human only, and not to His Divine at the same time, is not conjunction; for the Divine saves, but not the Human apart from the Divine.  (Apocalypse Explained 135).
It should be known that there are two principal things of the church, namely, the acknowledgment of the Lord's Divine in His Human, and making the truths from the Word to be of one's life.  Moreover, no one can be in the one of these unless he is at the same time in the other; for all truths that are made to be of the life are from the Lord, and this is done with those who acknowledge the Divine in His Human. For the Lord flows in with all, as well in the heavens as on the earth, from His Divine Human, and not from the Divine separately. Consequently those who in their thought separate the Divine of the Lord from His Human, and look to the Divine of the Father not as in the Human but as beside it or above it, thus separated from it, receive no influx from the Lord nor thus from heaven, for all who are in the heavens acknowledge the Lord's Divine Human (see concerning this in the work on Heaven and Hell, n. 2-12, 59-72, 78-86 seq., 212). From this it is clear that all truths that are made of the life are from the Lord with those who acknowledge the Divine in His Human, that is the Divine Human. Truths become of the life when man loves them, thus when he wills them and does them, for he who loves, wills and does; in a word, truths are made of the life when man from affection lives according to them. Such truths are from the Lord because the Lord flows into the love with man, and through the love into truths and thus makes them to be of the life.

Something shall now be said about the power that man has from the Lord against evils and falsities.

All power that angels have and also that men have is from the Lord; and the measure in which they receive the Lord is the measure of their power.

He who believes that any power against evils and falsities comes from what is man's own [proprium] is greatly mistaken; for it is evil spirits, conjoined to the hells, that induce evils and falsities thence with men, and these spirits are numerous, and each one of them is conjoined to many hells, in each of which also there are many spirits, and no one except the Lord can turn these away from man, for the Lord alone has power over the hells, and man has no power at all from himself or from what is his own [proprium]; therefore man has power to the extent that he is conjoined to the Lord by love.

There are two loves that reign in the heavens and constitute the heavens, namely, love to the Lord and love towards the neighbor; love to the Lord is called celestial love, and love toward the neighbor is called spiritual love. Those who are in celestial love have much power, but those who are in spiritual love have some power; and because what is written to the angel of this church, treats of those who are in love towards the neighbor, or in charity and in faith therefrom, which love is spiritual love, it is said, "Thou hast some power."

But it is to be noted, that all the power that angels and men have from the Lord is from the good of love; and since the good of love does not act from itself but through truths, therefore all power is from the good of love through truths, and with those who are spiritual, from the good of charity through the truths of faith. For good takes on a quality through truths, good without truths having no quality and where there is no quality there is neither force nor power.

From this it is clear, that good has all power through truths, or charity through faith, and neither charity apart from faith nor faith apart from charity has any power. This is meant also by the keys given to Peter, for "Peter" there means, in the spiritual sense, truth from good which is from the Lord, thus faith from charity; and the "keys" given to him the power over evil and falsities. These things were said to Peter when he acknowledged the Divine of the Lord in His Human; which means, that those have power who acknowledge the Divine of the Lord in His Human, and from Him are in the good of charity, and in the truths of faith. That these things were said to Peter when he acknowledged the Lord is shown in Matthew:
Jesus said to the disciples, Who say ye that I am? Simon Peter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answering said unto him, Blessed art thou Simon Bar-Jonah; for flesh and blood hath not revealed this unto thee, but My Father who is in the heavens. But I also say unto thee, thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of the hells shall not prevail against it. And I will give unto thee the keys of the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 16:15-19).

(Apocalypse Explained 209)

March 20, 2021

The Two Essentials of the New Church

Selection from Apocalypse Revealed ~ Emanuel Swedenborg

And I will give power unto my two witnesses . . . Revelation 11:3
Those who confess and acknowledge from the heart that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, and who are conjoined to Him by a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue.

The reason why these are here meant by "the two witnesses," is, because these two are the two essentials of the New Church.

That the first essential, that the Lord is the God of heaven and earth, and that His Human is Divine, is "a testimony," and consequently, that they are "witnesses" who confess and acknowledge it in the heart — the good of life, or good in act; consequently all in the aggregate who are in that good. These "testify," that is, see, acknowledge, receive from the heart in the light, and confess the truths of the Word, especially that truth therein that the Lord's Human is Divine (from Apocalypse Revealed 6); and likewise from the following passages:-
I am the fellow servant of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus; for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy (Rev. 19:10).
The angels of Michael overcame the dragon by the blood of the Lamb and by the Word of His testimony: and the dragon went away to make war with the rest of her seed, who kept the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ (Rev 12:11, 17).
The souls of them that were smitten with the axe for the testimony of Jesus and for the Word of God (Rev. 20:4).
These are they who acknowledged the Lord. This is called "the testimony of Jesus," because the Lord testifies it from His Word, thus from Himself; on which account He is called:
The Faithful and True Witness (Rev. 1:5; 3:14).
And He says:
I testify of Myself, and My testimony is true; because I know whence I come, and whither I go (John 8:14).
Also:
When the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, is come, He shall testify of Me (John 15:26).
That the Comforter, the Spirit of truth, which is also the Holy Spirit, is the proceeding Divine, and that this is the Lord Himself, may be seen in The Doctrine of the New Jerusalem concerning the Lord (n. 46-54.)

Now because the Lord Himself is the Witness, therefore those also are meant by "witnesses" who testify this from the Lord, as John did:
Jesus said, Ye sent unto John, and he was a witness to the truth; yet I receive not testimony from man (John 5:33-34).
John came for a testimony, that he might testify concerning the light: he was not the Light, but that he might testify of the Light. The Word, which was with God, and which was God, was the true Light (John 1:1-14, 34).
That the second essential of the New Church, which is conjunction with the Lord by a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue, is "a Testimony," is manifest from the fact that the Decalogue is called "the Testimony;" as in these passages:
Thou shalt put into the ark the Testimony which I will give thee (Exod. 25:16).
Moses put the Testimony into the Ark (Exod. 40:20).
The mercy-seat which is over the Testimony (Lev. 16:13).
Leave the staffs of the tribes before the Testimony (Num. 17:4. Besides other places, as Exod. 25:22; 31:7, 18; 32:15; Ps. 78:5; 132:12).
Something shall here be said concerning conjunction with the Lord by a life according to the precepts of the Decalogue.

There are two tables upon which those precepts are written, one for the Lord, the other for man.

• The first table, teaches that many gods are not to be worshiped, but one
• The second table, that evils are not to be done

Therefore, when one God is worshiped, and man does not do evils, conjunction takes place; for so far as a man desists from evils, that is, does the work of repentance, so far he is accepted by God, and does good from Him.

But who now is the one God?

A trine or triune God is not one God when this trine and triune is in three Persons; but He, in whom the trine or triune is in one Person, is one God, and that God is the Lord. Entangle the ideas as far as you can, yet you will never be able to extricate the idea that God is one, unless He is also one Person. That this is so, the whole Word teaches, both in the Old Prophetic, and in the New Apostolic Word.

(from Apocalypse Revealed 490)