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Arcana Coelestia, by Emanuel Swedenborg, [1749-56], tr. by John F. Potts [1905-10], at sacred-texts.com

Arcana Coelestia

And he put a veil upon his faces. That this signifies that the internal of the church, of worship, and of the Word did not appear to the Israelitish nation, but only the external without the internal, is evident from the signification of "putting a veil upon his faces," as being to close the internal, so that only the external without the internal may appear; for by "the shining of the skin of Moses' faces," is signified the shining forth of the internal of the Word, of the church, and of worship in external things (see above, n. 10691). (That this nation was in external things without what is internal, and also is so at this day, may be seen at the places cited in n. 10692.) From this it is also evident how the external of the Word, of the church, and of worship with that nation appears in the heavens, namely, not indeed as the face of a man, but like a veil before the face, for in such obscurity are they concerning the interior things of the Word.

And when Moses entered in before Jehovah to speak with Him. That this signifies the state of the external when the internal from the Lord flowed in and this external received information, is evident from the representation of Moses, as being that external in which is the internal (see n. 10694); from the signification of "entering in before Jehovah," as being the state of this external when the Lord flows in (of which below); and from the signification of "speaking," as being information (see at the places cited in n. 10280). With the external when the internal flows into it, which is signified by "when Moses entered in before Jehovah," the case is this. There are two states with men in respect to the things of the church, of worship, and of the Word. Some turn themselves to the Lord, thus to heaven; but some turn to themselves and the world. Those who turn themselves to the Lord or to heaven receive influx from thence, and are in enlightenment, and thus are inwardly in the perception of truth. This influx takes place from the Lord through the internal into the external. This is here signified by "entering in before Jehovah." But those who turn to themselves and the world cannot receive any influx from the Lord or from heaven, thus cannot be in any enlightenment and perception of truth; for by looking to self the world flows in, and completely extinguishes, or repels, or perverts whatsoever comes from heaven. Consequently they are in thick darkness in respect to all things of the church, of worship, and of the Word. This is signified by "the veil before Moses' faces." Moreover, the interiors of a man actually turn themselves in accordance with his loves. With those who love the Lord, the interiors turn themselves to the Lord or heaven, thus inwardly; but with those who love themselves they turn to the world, thus outwardly. To turn one's self to the Lord is to be turned by the Lord Himself, for a man cannot elevate his interiors from himself. But to turn one's self to self is to be turned by hell, and when this is done, then, in order to prevent the man from serving two masters, the things of the internal man are closed.

He removed the veil until he went out. That this signifies a state of enlightenment then, is evident from the signification of "removing the veil," as being the appearing of the internal, for when the veil was removed, the faces and the shining of their skin appeared; and by the "faces" are signified the interiors; and by the "shining" is signified the light therefrom in the external. That the "faces" denote the interiors may be seen at the places cited in n. 9546; and that the "shining of the skin of Moses' faces" denotes the shining forth, or the light from the internal, in the external of the Word, n. 10691. It is said "light" because the light which illumines the internal of man is the Divine truth that proceeds from the Lord. That this is the light of heaven, thus the light from which angels and spirits see, and also that from which the man who is enlightened has perception and intelligence, may be seen at the places cited in n. 9548, 9684. It is said "light in the external of the Word from its internal," but there is meant light in the external of man from its internal when he is reading it, for the Word does not shine from itself except before the eyes of a man who is in light from the internal. Without this the Word is merely the letter. From this then it is evident whence came the shining of the skin of Moses' faces, and what this signifies in the internal sense.

And he went out, and spoke unto the sons of Israel that which was commanded. That this signifies communication with those who are in external things without what is internal concerning those things about which he was informed through the internal, is evident from the signification of "going out and speaking," as being communication, for that which Moses heard from Jehovah, he communicated to the sons of Israel when he went out; from the representation of the sons of Israel, as being those who are in external things without internal things (see at the places cited in n. 10692); and from the signification of "which was commanded by Jehovah," as being the things about which Moses was informed by the Lord. That "to be commanded" denotes to be informed is evident; and that "Jehovah" in the Word denotes the Lord may be seen at the places cited in n. 9373.

And the sons of Israel saw the faces of Moses, that the skin of Moses' faces shone. That this signifies that the Israelitish nation did indeed acknowledge that there is an internal in the Word, but that they did not wish to know the nature of it, is evident from the signification of "seeing," as being perception, understanding, faith (see n. 2150, 2325, 2807, 3764, 3863, 3869, 4403-4421, 4567, 4723, 5114, 5400, 6805, 7650, 9128; consequently also acknowledgment, n. 897, 3796); from the signification of "the faces of Moses," as being the internal things of the Word (n. 10703); and from the signification of "the shining of the skin of his faces," as being the shining forth of the internal in the external (see also above, n. 10703). It is known that that nation acknowledges that there is an internal in the Word, for they say that Divine secrets are stored up therein even in every syllable. But when they are told that these secrets are about the Lord, about His kingdom in the heavens and on earth, and about love to Him and faith in Him, they do not wish to know. This is meant by that nation indeed acknowledging that there is an internal in the Word, but not wishing to know the nature of it; and therefore the statement follows that "Moses drew back the veil upon his faces," by which is signified that for this reason the internal was closed to them.

And Moses drew back the veil upon his faces. That this signifies that for this reason internal things were closed to them, is evident from the signification of "drawing back the veil upon the faces," when said of Moses, by whom is represented the Word, as being to close the internal things of the Word (see above, n. 10701). (How the case is in regard to this can be seen from what has been said just above, in n. 10705, at the end.)

Until he entered in to speak with Him. That this signifies no matter how much they may be informed, is evident from the signification of "until Moses entered in to speak with Jehovah," as signifying the state of this external when the internal from the Lord flowed in, and it received information (see above, n. 10702). That here it also denotes no matter how much they may be informed, is because by Moses is represented that external of the Word in which is the internal (n. 10694); and he entered in before Jehovah and went out, and informed them; for by "entering in and going out" is signified communication (n. 5249, 6901); and by "speaking" is signified information (see at the places cited in n. 10280). That they did not wish to know anything about these internal things of the Word, of the church, and of worship, which relate to the Lord, to His kingdom, and to love to Him and faith in Him, is very evident from the fact that they did not wish to acknowledge the Lord no matter how much He when in the world informed them from the Word; and that neither do they wish to acknowledge Him at this day, although they live among Christians, and know that it has been foretold in the Word that the Messiah, that is, the Christ, will come. The reason why they did not acknowledge, and do not acknowledge, is that they apply all things of the Word to themselves, and to their own eminence over others, thus in favor of their loves, which are the loves of self and of the world. All who do so, see nothing from heaven. Their internal, which should be open into heaven, is closed, and therefore they have no light from this source. For this reason they are in thick darkness and blindness in respect to spiritual things, thus in respect to the internal of the Word, of the church, and of worship. The internal of the Word is spiritual; its external is natural. When the internal of the Word is spoken of, the internal of the church and of worship is also meant, because the church is where the Word is, and is from the Word; and worship is from those things which are in the Word. Thus such as is a man's understanding of the Word, such is the church in him, and such is his worship.

CONTINUATION ABOUT THE FOURTH EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN. When I inquired further about their way of speaking, they said that the inhabitants of that earth have not articulate speech, such as I have; but still it ends in what is sonorous with a kind of speaking as it were articulate. It was explained that this quasi-articulate speaking is not effected by means of words; but by means of ideas, such as are in the proximate thought in which a man is when he is speaking. These ideas are distinctly different from those of the interior thought in which a man is when he is not speaking, but is forming a judgment about things. From this sonorousness thus modified by means of ideas the discourse is perceived more fully than is discourse by means of words; for the general affection which is in the sound of man's speech, being thus modified by ideas, gives a more interior and thus a fuller perception.

They said, further, that when they are speaking among themselves, they for the most part advance to the ninth use, and that there are some in the universe who in speaking advance to the fifth use, some to the seventh, to the tenth, to the fifteenth, to the twentieth, and even to the fiftieth. When I wondered what this meant it was explained, namely, that it consists in speaking remotely from the thing that is the subject of the discourse. This was illustrated by examples, as for instance, when someone is in a place of worship, and it is asked where he is, they do not say that he is there, but that he is not at home, that he is far from his house, and so on. By this they mean that he is with God, thus in the place of worship, for he who is in a place of worship is with God, and insofar as he is with God he is not at home, or in his own house; by being in his own house they also mean being at home. To take another example: When someone binds another by such things as are of his love, they say to him, "thou knowest how to do it," or "now thou art in it," or "now it is in thee," or otherwise, provided it is remotely expressed. This is called speaking to the fifth, the ninth, the fifteenth, the twentieth, even to the fiftieth use. To "speak to the use" is a customary expression in heaven; and its meaning is according to the degree of the remoteness from the thing which is the subject. And wonderful to say, when anyone speaks in this remote manner, they at once know to what degree it goes without counting it. They who are in the cogitative speech in which are the inhabitants of that earth, and many others who in like manner speak together by means of the face and the lips, and by what is sonorous varied according to the ideas of thought, instantly perceive the thing which is so spoken of; for the thought itself unfolds and publishes itself more fully by such speech than by the speech of words, which is relatively material.

On account of such a method of thinking and speaking, the spirits of that earth cannot be together with the spirits of our earth, because the spirits of our earth think and speak from the thing itself, and not remotely from it. Neither can they be together with the spirits of the earth Mercury, because these also stop in the nearest use; and therefore insofar as they can, they withdraw from both.

They wish to be bearded, and to appear old, for the reason that they always choose and set over them some bearded old man, who is as it were their king and high priest. The common people also worship him, and love to live according to his manner of living, insomuch that they believe that his life is communicated to them; but the more intelligent of them worship God. Such a bearded old man, who had been their high priest, was one of those who were with me, and as he had accepted Divine worship from the common spirits, and had led them to believe that his life was communicated to them, he was severely punished, which was done by wrapping him up in a cloth and whirling him round; and then he was cast into the hell near his own earth.

When they were allowed to see the objects of this earth through my eyes, they paid very little attention to them, because it is customary for them to think far away from the nearest objects; thus not to see them, except in shade; for such as is the thought of a man, such is his sight; because it is the interior sight which is of the thought that sees in the exterior, and through it. They then said that their earth is very rocky, and that there are only some valleys between the rocks which are cultivated. But it was perceived that it was so only where these people dwelt; and that in other places it is different. They were with me for almost an entire day.

The fifth earth seen in the starry heaven will be described at the end of the following chapter.

CHAPTER THE THIRTY-FIFTH. THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY AND FAITH 10714-1 There are two things which make the life of man-love and faith. Love makes the life of his will, and faith the life of his understanding; consequently such as the love is, and such as the faith is, such is the life.

The love of good and the derivative faith of truth make the life of heaven, and the love of evil and the derivative faith of falsity make the life of hell.

The Divine of the Lord makes the heavens, and heaven is with everyone according to his reception of love and of faith from the Lord.

Heaven is present with all, both angels and men, who receive love and faith from the Lord; and therefore those come into heaven after death who have heaven in them during their life in the world.

Those who have heaven in them desire the good of all, and feel delight in benefiting others, not for the sake of themselves and the world, but for the sake of the good, and for the sake of the truth, which is so to be done. But those who have hell in them desire evil to all, and feel delight in doing evil to others. If these feel delight in benefiting others, it is not for the sake of what is good and true, but for the sake of themselves and the world.

Heaven with man is in his internal, thus in his thinking and willing; and from this is in the external, that is, in his speaking and doing. But heaven is not in the external without the internal, for all hypocrites can speak well and do well, but not think well and will well. By thinking well, and willing well, is meant thinking and willing what is from the love of good, and from the faith of truth.

When a man comes into the other life, which takes place immediately after death, it is evident whether heaven is in him, or hell; but not while he lives in the world. For in the world only the external appears, and not the internal; whereas in the other life the internal stands open, because the man then lives in respect to his spirit.

From all this it can be seen what makes heaven, namely, love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor, and likewise faith, but this latter only insofar as it has life from these loves. Hence it is again evident that the Lord's Divine makes heaven, for both this love and the derivative faith are from the Lord, and whatever is from the Lord is Divine.

Eternal happiness, which is also called heavenly joy, exists with those who are in love and faith toward the Lord from the Lord. This love, and this faith, have this joy in them; and after death the man who has heaven in him comes into this joy. In the meantime it lies hidden in his internal.

In the heavens there is a communion of all goods. There the peace, intelligence, wisdom, and happiness of all are communicated to everyone, and that of everyone is communicated to all, yet to each according to the reception of love and of faith from the Lord. From this it is evident how great in heaven are the peace, intelligence, wisdom, and happiness.

Those in whom reign the love of self and the love of the world, do not know what heaven is, and what is the happiness of heaven, and it appears incredible to them that there is any happiness in other loves than these; when yet the happiness of heaven enters only insofar as these loves are removed, as ends. The happiness which succeeds on their removal is so great that it surpasses all man's apprehension. EXODUS 35 1. And Moses gathered together all the assemblage of the sons of Israel, and said unto them, These are the words which Jehovah hath commanded, to do them. 2. Six days shall work be done, and on the seventh day there shall be to you holiness, a Sabbath of Sabbath to Jehovah; everyone doing work therein shall die. 3. Ye shall not kindle a fire in all your dwellings on the Sabbath day. 4. And Moses said unto all the assemblage of the sons of Israel, saying, This is the word which Jehovah commanded, saying, 5. Take ye from among you an offering to Jehovah; everyone that is willing in his heart shall bring it, an offering of Jehovah; gold, and silver, and brass; 6. And blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-eyed, and fine linen, and goats' [hair]; 7. And skins of red rams, and badgers, 10724-1 skins, and shittim wood; 8. And oil for the luminary, and spices for the oil of anointing, and for the incense of spices; 9. And onyx stones, and stones for filling, for the ephod, and for the breastplate. 10. And let everyone that is wise in heart among you come, and make all things that Jehovah hath commanded; 11. The Habitation, its Tent, and its covering, its hooks, and its planks, its bars, its pillars, and its bases; 12. The ark, and the staves thereof, the propitiatory, and the veil of the covering; 13. The table, and its staves, and all its vessels; and the bread of faces; 14. And the lampstand of the luminary, and its vessels, and its lamps, and the oil of the luminary; 15. And the altar of incense, and its staves, and the oil of anointing, and the incense of spices, and the covering of the door, at the door of the Habitation; 16. The altar of burnt-offering, and its grating of brass, its staves, and all its vessels; the laver and its base; 17. The hangings of the court, the pillars thereof, and their bases, and the covering for the gate of the court; 18. The pegs of the Habitation, and the pegs of the court, and their cords; 19. The garments of ministry, to minister in the holy, the garments of holiness for Aaron the priest, and the garments of his sons, to minister in the priest's office; 20. And all the assemblage of the sons of Israel went out from before Moses. 21. And they came, every man whom his heart impelled, and everyone whom his spirit moved him willingly, brought an offering of Jehovah, for the work of the Tent of meeting, and for all the ministry thereof, and for the garments of holiness. 22. And they came, the men with the women, everyone willing in heart, and brought a clasp, and an earring, and a ring, and a girdle, every vessel of gold; and every man that waved a wave-offering of gold to Jehovah. 23. And every man with whom was found blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed, and fine linen, and goats' [hair], and skins of red rams, and badgers' skins, brought them. 24. Everyone lifting an offering of silver and of brass brought an offering of Jehovah; and every man with whom was found shittim wood for any work of the ministry, brought it. 25. And every woman wise in heart did spin with their hands, and brought that which they had spun, the blue, and the crimson, the scarlet double-dyed, and the fine linen. 26. And all the women whose heart impelled them in wisdom spun the goats' [hair]. 27. And the princes brought the onyx stones, and the stones for filling, for the ephod, and for the breastplate; 28. And the spice, and the oil for the luminary, and for the oil of anointing, and for the incense of spices. 29. Every man and woman whom their heart moved willingly to bring for all the work which Jehovah had commanded to be made by the hand of Moses, the sons of Israel brought, a willing offering to Jehovah. 30. And Moses said unto the sons of Israel, See ye, Jehovah hath called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah; 31. And He hath filled him with the spirit of God, in wisdom, in intelligence, and in knowledge, and in all work; 32. And to think thoughts, to work in gold, and in silver, and in brass; 33. And in graving of stone for filling, and in carving of wood, to do in all work of thought. 34. And he hath put into his heart to teach, into him and into Aholiab, the son of Ahisamach, of the tribe of Dan. 35. He hath filled them with wisdom of heart, to do all work of the craftsman, and of the thinker, and of the embroiderer, in blue, and in crimson, in scarlet double-dyed, and in fine linen, and of the weaver, of those who do all work, and of those who think thoughts.

THE CONTENTS. The subject treated of in this chapter in the internal sense is in a summary all the kinds of good and of truth which are in the church and in heaven, and from which is the worship of the Lord. These are the things which are signified by the things the sons of Israel brought willingly to make the Tabernacle with all things therein, also the altar of burnt-offering, and likewise the garments of Aaron and his sons.

THE INTERNAL SENSE. Verses 1-3. And Moses gathered together all the assemblage of the sons of Israel, and said unto them, These are the words which Jehovah hath commanded, to do them. Six days shall work be done, and on the seventh day there shall be to you holiness, a Sabbath of Sabbath to Jehovah; everyone doing work therein shall die. Ye shall not kindle a fire in all your dwellings on the Sabbath day. "And Moses gathered together all the assemblage of the sons of Israel," signifies all the truths and goods of the church in the complex; "and said unto them, These are the words which Jehovah hath commanded, to do them," signifies instruction concerning the primary things of the church, to which all things bear relation; "six days shall work be done," signifies the first state of the regeneration of man by the Lord, and in the supreme sense the first state of the glorification of the Lord's Human; "and on the seventh day there shall be to you holiness, a Sabbath of Sabbath to Jehovah," signifies the second state of the regeneration of man, when he has conjunction with the Lord, and in the supreme sense the union of the Lord's Human with the Divine Itself; "every one doing work therein shall die," signifies spiritual death for those who are led by themselves and their loves, and not by the Lord; "ye shall not kindle a fire in all your dwellings on the Sabbath day," signifies that nothing of man's own love, which is the love of self and of the world, must appear in each and all things of man which are from the Lord.

And Moses gathered together all the assemblage of the sons of Israel. That this signifies all the truths and goods of the church in the complex, is evident from the signification of "the assemblage of the sons of Israel," as being all the truths and goods of the church in the complex (see n. 7830, 7843). Thus by "gathering together the assemblage" is signified the enumeration of all things, for in what follows all the things are enumerated which the sons of Israel brought, to make the tabernacle with all that it contained, also the altar of burnt-offering, and likewise the garments of Aaron and of his sons; and by these things are signified all the kinds of good and truth from which is the church.

And said unto them, These are the words which Jehovah hath commanded, to do them. That this signifies instruction concerning the primary thing of the church, to which all things bear relation, is evident from the signification of "saying," as being instruction (of which at the places cited in n. 10280); and from the signification of "the words which Jehovah hath commanded, to do them," as being the primary truth which was by all means to be observed. This is signified because these things are said of the Sabbath, which was the primary representative of all, thus the primary truth to which all things bear relation. For the representatives of the church among the Israelitish nation were truths in the ultimate of order. The case with representatives is this. All things that appear in the three kingdoms of nature are ultimates of Divine order, because in these close all the things of heaven, which are called spiritual and celestial. Hence a representative church was instituted, and such things were commanded as, in ultimates, completely represented heaven, together with all the truths and goods there; and the things that represented were the forms of such things as are in nature; as the Tabernacle encompassed with curtains, the table therein on which were the breads of faces, the lampstand with the lamps, the altar on which incense was offered, the garments of Aaron together with the breastplate of precious stones, besides other things. What such things represented has been shown in what goes before.

Six days shall work be done. That this signifies the first state of the regeneration of man by the Lord, and in the supreme sense the first state of the glorification of the Lord's Human, is evident from the signification of the "six days" which precede the seventh or Sabbath, and in which work is to be done, as being the first state of the regeneration of man by the Lord, which state is when the man is in truths, and is led by means of truths to good, and is then in combats (see n. 8510, 8888, 9431, 10360. That it also denotes the state of the glorification of the Lord's Human while He was in the world and fought from Divine truth against the hells, and reduced all things there and in the heavens into order, may be seen in n. 10360.) For man has two states while he is being regenerated by the Lord. The former is when he is in truths, and is being led by means of truths to good. The latter is when he is in good, and from good sees and loves truths. In the former state the man is indeed led by the Lord, but by means of what is his own. For to act from truths is to act from those things which are with man; but to act from good is to act from the Lord. From this it is evident that insofar as a man suffers himself to be led by means of good to truths, so far he is led by the Lord and to the Lord. [2] For there is action and reaction in all things that are conjoined. The agent is good, and the reagent is truth. But truth never reacts from itself; but from good, consequently insofar as truth receives good, so far it reacts; and insofar as it reacts, so far it is conjoined with good. From this it also follows that before a man is being conjoined with the Lord, the Lord impels him to Himself by means of truths; and insofar as the man suffers himself to be brought to Him, so far he is conjoined. For truths Divine are of such a nature that they can be fitted to good, because truths come forth from good. From this the man now has perception, which in itself is a reacting. To suffer one's self to be impelled [agi], or brought to good by means of truths, is to live according to them. These things have been said in order that it may in some measure be known how the case is in regard to the first state of the man who is being regenerated, which is signified by the "six days of labor."

And on the seventh day there shall be to you holiness, a Sabbath of Sabbath to Jehovah. That this signifies the second state of the regeneration of man, when he has conjunction with the Lord; and that in the supreme sense it signifies the union of the Lord's Human with the Divine Itself; is evident from the representation of the Sabbath, as being the second state of the regeneration of man, when he is in good, and thus is led by the Lord (see n. 8510, 8890, 8893, 9274); and as being in the supreme sense the union of the Human with the Divine Itself in the Lord (n. 8495, 10367, 10374). For when the Lord was in the world, He first made His Human Divine truth; but when He went out from the world, He made His Human Divine good through a union with the Divine Itself that was in Him. In the supreme sense this is represented by the Sabbath, and therefore it is called "a Sabbath of Sabbath to Jehovah." The Lord does the like with the man whom He is regenerating. He first imbues him with truths, and afterward by means of the truths He conjoins him with good, thus with Himself. This is represented by the Sabbath in the relative sense; for the regeneration of man is an image of the glorification of the Lord; that is, as the Lord glorified His Human, so He regenerates man. [2] By the "Sabbath" in its proper sense is signified rest and peace, because when the Lord united His Human to the Divine Itself He had peace, for the combats then ceased, and all things in the heavens and in the hells had been reduced into order. And accordingly there was peace not for Him only; but also for the angels in the heavens, and for men on earth, there were peace and salvation. [3] As these two truths here treated of are the very universals on which all other things of the church depend, therefore the hallowing of the Sabbath, by which these two are signified, is the only thing here set forth. For the universal truth of all is that the Lord united His Human to the Divine Itself, and that from this man has peace and salvation. And it is also a universal truth that man must be conjoined with the Lord, in order that he may have peace and salvation, and this is effected by means of regeneration. For this reason also, among the Israelitish nation the Sabbath was the chief representative and the chief sign of a covenant with Jehovah, that is, of conjunction with the Lord (see n. 10357, 10372); a "covenant" denotes conjunction.

Everyone doing work therein shall die. That this signifies spiritual death for those who are led by themselves and their own loves, and not by the Lord, is evident from the signification of "doing works on the Sabbath day," as being to be led by self and one's own loves, and not by the Lord (see n. 8495, 10360, 10362, 10364); and from the signification of "dying," as being damnation, or spiritual death (n. 6119, 9008). Those who are led by themselves and by their own loves do not believe in the Lord, for to believe in the Lord is from Him, and not from self. From this it is also that such persons make of no account the union of His Human with the Divine Itself, and also of regeneration by the Lord; and thus also make of no account the truths of the church; for they say to themselves, "Of what value are such things?" Or, "What does it matter whether we know them? or even think them, and desire them? Are we not still alive, like other people? What difference is there?" The reason why they so think is that they think from the life of the world, and not from the life of heaven. The life of heaven is a thing unknown to them, and no one can think from what is unknown; and therefore such people cannot be saved, because they have not heaven in them, and therefore they cannot be in heaven, for their interiors are not in agreement with it. For unless these have been disposed by the Lord according to the image of heaven, there is no conjunction with heaven. Such are those who deny these universal truths. It is this state of man which is signified by "works done on the Sabbath day;" and the spiritual death of such persons is signified by their natural "death."

Ye shall not kindle a fire in all your dwellings on the Sabbath day. That this signifies that nothing of man's own love, which is the love of self and of the world, must appear in each and all things of man which are from the Lord, is evident from the signification of "fire," as being love in both senses (see n. 6832, 7324, 7575, 9141), here man's own love, which is the love of self and of the world, from which come all concupiscence, and all evil and falsity; and from the signification of the "dwellings of the sons of Israel," as being the goods and truths of the church that are with man from the Lord; for "dwellings" denote the interior things in man, thus those which belong to his mind (n. 7719, 7910, 8269, 8309, 10153); here therefore the goods and truths that are from the Lord; and "the sons of Israel" denote the church (n. 9340). As such things were signified by "fire," it was therefore forbidden to kindle a fire on the Sabbath day. (How the case is in regard to being led by one's self and one's own loves, and not by the Lord, may be seen just above, n. 10731.)

The things contained from verse 4 to the end of the chapter are passed by without explication, because each and all things there have already been unfolded in chapters 25 to 31, in which are treated of the Tabernacle and all things therein, also the altar of burnt-offering, and the garments of Aaron and of his sons; for here we find merely an enumeration of the things of which these objects were composed.

ON THE FIFTH EARTH IN THE STARRY HEAVEN. I was conducted to yet another earth that is in the universe beyond our solar world, which was effected by changes of the state of my mind, thus in respect to my spirit. For as already stated several times, a spirit is conducted from place to place no otherwise than by changes of the state of his interiors; but which changes appear to him as advancings from place to place, or as journeyings. These changes went on continuously for about ten hours before I came from the state of my life to the state of their life, thus before I was brought there in respect to my spirit. The Lord alone is able successively to change the state of mind in this way, so that at last it approaches the state of another person who is so far distant. I was carried toward the east and to the left, and I seemed to be gradually raised above the horizontal plane; and I was also allowed clearly to observe the progression and advancement from the former place, until finally those from whom I had departed were no longer in sight; and meanwhile as we went along I spoke about various matters to the spirits who were with me.

There was also with me a certain spirit who during his life in the world had been a very impassioned preacher and writer. From the idea I had about him the attendant spirits supposed that he was pre-eminently a Christian at heart; for in the world an idea is conceived and a judgment is formed from the preaching and from the writings, and not from the life unless this is conspicuous; and if anything of an inconsistent life appears, it is nevertheless excused, because the idea (or thought and perception) about anyone draws everything over to its side.

I afterward discerned that in respect to my spirit I was in the starry heaven far beyond the world of our sun, for this could be discerned from the changes of state and the consequent apparent continuous progression during almost ten hours. At last I heard spirits speaking who were near some earth, which I afterward saw. When I approached them, after some conversation, they said that they are sometimes visited by guests from a distance who speak to them about God, and confuse the ideas of their thought. They also showed the way by which they come, from which it was perceived that they were spirits from our earth. And when they were asked in what they had confused them, they said by their telling them that it is necessary to believe in a Divine that is distinguished into three Persons, which they nevertheless call one God. And when the idea of their thought is examined, it appears as a Trine that is not continuous but discrete; and with some as three Persons conversing together; and although they call each Person "God," and have a different idea of each, they nevertheless say "one God." They greatly complained that these guests confuse them by thinking of three and saying one, when yet they ought to think as they speak, and speak as they think. The preacher who was with me was then also examined in respect to the idea which he had of one God and three Persons. He represented three Gods, yet these a one by continuity, but he set forth this trinal one as invisible because Divine. And when he set this forth it was perceived that he was then thinking of the Father only, and not of the Lord, and that his idea of an invisible God was nothing but an idea of nature in its first principles, the result of which was that the inmost of nature was to him his Divine. Be it known that in the other life the idea of everyone's thought on any subject is presented to the life, and that by this everyone is examined in respect to the nature of his faith; and also that the idea of thought concerning God is the principal of all; for by this idea, if it be genuine, conjunction is effected with heaven, because it is the Divine which makes heaven.

They were next asked what idea they have about God. They replied that they do not conceive of an invisible God, but of a visible God under the human form; and that they know this not only from interior perception, but also from His having appeared to them as a Man, adding that if according to the idea of some of their visitors, and of the preacher, they were to conceive of God as invisible, they could not think of God at all, because what is invisible does not fall into any idea of thought. I perceived that this was because what is invisible was to them without form, thus without quality; and an idea that is without form and quality is either dissipated or falls to nature, which is visible. After hearing these things, it was given to say to them that they do well to think of God under the human form; and that many from our earth think in like manner, especially when they think of the Lord; and that the ancients thought in no other manner. I then told them about Abraham, about Lot, about Gideon, and about Manoah and his wife, and what is related about them in our Word, namely, that they saw God under a human form, and that when they saw Him they acknowledged Him as the Creator of the universe, and called Him Jehovah, and this also from interior perception; but that at this day such interior perception has perished in the Christian world, and remains only with the simple who are in faith.

Before these things were said, they had believed that our company also was one of those which desired to confuse them about God by the idea of three; and therefore after hearing these words, they said that some have been sent by God (whom they then called the Lord) to teach them about Him; and that they are not willing to admit visitors who disturb them, especially by means of three Persons in the Godhead, because they know that God is one, consequently that the Divine is one, and not a unanimity of three-unless their visitors are willing to think of God as of an angel, in whom there is an inmost of life that is invisible, and from which he thinks and is wise; and an external of life that is visible under the human form, and from which he sees and acts; and also a proceeding of life which is a sphere of love and faith around him. For from the sphere of life proceeding from him, the quality of every spirit and angel in respect to his love and faith is perceived at a distance. And in regard to the Lord they said that the proceeding sphere of life from Him is the Divine Itself that fills the heavens and makes them, because it is from the very Being of the life of love and of faith. [2] After hearing these words it was given to say that such an idea about what is trine and at the same time one, is in agreement with the angelic idea about the Lord, and that it is from the very doctrine of the Lord about Himself, for He teaches that the Father and He are one, that the Father is in Him and He in the Father, that whoso seeth Him seeth the Father, and whoso believeth in Him believeth in the Father and knoweth Him, and also that the Paraclete, whom He calls the Spirit of truth and also the Holy Spirit, proceeds from Him and does not speak from Himself, but from Him, whereby is meant the Divine proceeding. [3] And it was given to say, further, that an idea of what is trine and at the same time one is in agreement with the Being and Manifestation [Esse et Existere] of the life of the Lord when He was in the world. The Being of His life was the Divine Itself, for He was conceived of Jehovah; and the being of the life of everyone is that from whom he is conceived. The Manifestation of life from this Being is the Human in form. The being of the life of every man, which he has from his father, is called the soul; and the manifestation of life thence derived is called the body. The soul and the body constitute one man. [4] The likeness between the two is like that between that which is in an endeavor and that which is in the consequent act; for an act is an endeavor acting, and thus these two are one. In man, endeavor is called "will;" and endeavor acting is called "action." The body is the instrumental by which the will, which is the principal, acts; and in acting the instrumental and the principal are together a one. And so it is with the soul and the body. The angels in heaven have such an idea about the soul and the body; and from this they know that the Lord made His Human Divine from the Divine in Himself, which was His soul from the Father. Moreover, the faith everywhere received in the Christian world does not dissent from this, for it teaches, "As the body and soul are one man, so also in the Lord, God and Man are one Christ." [5] As such was the union, or such the one, in the Lord, He therefore rose again not only as to the soul; but, differently from any man, as to the body which He glorified in the world. He also instructed the disciples about this, saying, "Feel Me and see, for a spirit hath not flesh and bones as ye see Me have." [6] From this it is that the church acknowledges the omnipresence of His Human in the Sacrament of the Supper, which could not be acknowledged unless His Human also was Divine. These things were well understood by these spirits; for such things fall into the understanding of angelic spirits; and they said that the Lord alone has power in the heavens, and that the heavens are His. To this it was given to reply that the church also knows this from the mouth of the Lord Himself before He ascended into heaven, for He then said, "All power has been given to Me in heaven and on earth."

A continuation about the fifth earth in the starry heaven will be found at the end of the following chapter.

CHAPTER THE THIRTY-SIXTH. THE DOCTRINE OF CHARITY AND FAITH 10740-1 That which anyone does from love remains inscribed on his heart, for love is the fire of life, thus is the life of everyone. Consequently such as is the love, such is the life; and such as is the life, thus such as is the love, such is the whole man as to soul and as to body.

As love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor make the life of heaven with man, so when they reign do the love of self and the love of the world make the life of hell with him, for these loves are opposite to the former; and therefore those with whom the loves of self and of the world reign, can receive nothing from heaven; but all that they receive is from hell. For whatever a man thinks, and whatever he wills, or whatever a man believes, and whatever he loves is either from heaven or from hell.

From this it is that those in whom the love of self and the love of the world make the life, desire what is good for themselves alone, and not for others except for the sake of themselves. And as their life is from hell, they despise others in comparison with themselves, they are angry with others if they do not favor them, they hold them in hatred, they burn with revenge against them, and even desire to vent their rage upon them. At last these things become the delights of their life, thus their loves.

These are they who have hell in them, and who after death come into hell, because their life is in agreement with the life of those who are in hell; for all there are of this character; and everyone comes to his own people.

As these persons receive nothing from heaven, in their hearts they deny God and the life after death, and consequently hold in contempt all things of the church. It avails not that they do good to their fellow-citizen, to society, to their country, and to the church; or that they speak well about these; because they do all this for the sake of themselves and the world, in order to save appearances, and to secure reputation, honors, and gains. These are the external bonds by which such persons are brought to do what is good, and are withheld from doing what is evil. As for internal bonds, which are those of conscience, and which dictate that what is evil must not be done because it is sin, and is contrary to the Divine laws, they have none.

And therefore when these persons come into the other life, which takes place immediately after death, and external things are taken away from them, they rush headlong into every wickedness in accordance with their interiors, such as contempt of others in comparison with themselves, enmity, hatred, revenge, rage, cruelty, and also into hypocrisy, fraud, deceit, and many other kinds of wickedness. These are then the delights of their life; and therefore they are separated from the good, and cast into hell.

In the world many such persons are not aware that these thing are the delight of their life, because these things hide themselves in the loves of self and of the world; and at that time such persons call all things goods that favor these loves; and all things that confirm them they call truths. Neither do they know and acknowledge any other goods and truths, because they receive nothing from heaven, which they have closed against themselves.

As love is the fire of life, and everyone's life is in accordance with his love, it may from this be known what heavenly fire is, and what infernal fire. Heavenly fire is love to the Lord and love toward the neighbor, and infernal fire is the love of self and the love of the world, and the consequent concupiscence of all evils, which spring from these loves as from their fountains.

The nature of the life with those who are in hell can be inferred from what it would be among such persons in the world if external bonds were taken away, and there were no internal bonds to restrain them.

The life of man cannot be changed after death. It then remains such as it had been. Nor can the life of hell be transferred into the life of heaven, because they are opposites. From this it is evident that those who come into hell remain there forever; and that those who come into heaven remain there forever. EXODUS 36 1. And Bezalel and Aholiab wrought, and every man wise in heart, in whom Jehovah put wisdom and intelligence to know how to do all the work of the ministry of the Holy, according to all that Jehovah commanded. 2. And Moses called unto Bezalel and unto Aholiab, and unto every man wise in heart, to whom Jehovah gave wisdom in his heart, everyone whom his heart impelled to draw near unto the work to do it. 3. And they took from before Moses all the offering which the sons of Israel brought for the work of the ministry of the Holy, to make it. And they brought yet unto him a freewill offering morning by morning. 4. And all the wise men, that wrought all the work of the Holy, brought, man by man from his work which they wrought; 5. And they spoke unto Moses, saying, The people multiply to bring more than enough for the ministry of the work, which Jehovah commanded to do it. 6. And Moses commanded, and they proclaimed a voice in the camp, saying, Let neither man nor woman do any more work for the offering of the Holy; and he restrained the people from bringing. 7. And the work was sufficient for all the work to do it, and there was left over. 8. And every man wise in heart with them that wrought the work, made the Habitation with ten curtains; of fine twined linen, and blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed, and cherubs, the work of a thinker he made them. 9. The length of one curtain was eight and twenty cubits, and the breadth four cubits, of one curtain; one measure for all the curtains. 10. And he joined five curtains together, one to one; and five curtains he joined together, one to one. 11. And he made loops of blue upon the edge of the one curtain from the end in the conjoining, so he made in the edge of the outermost curtain in the second conjoining. 12. Fifty loops made he in the one curtain, and fifty loops made he in the end of the curtain that was in the second conjoining; the loops were catching hold, one to one. 13. And he made fifty clasps of gold, and joined the curtains together one to one in the clasps; and it was one Habitation. 14. And he made curtains of goats' [hair] for a Tent over the Habitation; eleven curtains he made them. 15. The length of one curtain was thirty cubits, and the breadth four cubits, of one curtain; one measure for the eleven curtains. 16. And he joined together five curtains only, and six curtains only. 17. And he made fifty loops upon the edge of the outermost curtain in the conjoining, and fifty loops made he upon the edge of the curtain of the second conjoining. 18. And he made fifty clasps of brass to join the Tent together, to be one. 19. And he made a covering for the Tent of skins of red rams, and a covering of badgers' 10749-1 skins above. 20. And he made the planks for the Habitation of shittim wood, standing up. 21. Ten cubits the length of a plank, and a cubit and half a cubit the breadth of one plank. 22. Two hands in one plank connected one to one; thus did he make for all the planks of the Habitation. 23. And he made the planks for the Habitation twenty planks for the corner of the south southward; 24. And he made forty bases of silver under the twenty planks; two bases under one plank for its two hands, and two bases under one plank for its two hands. 25. And for the other side of the Habitation, at the corner of the north, he made twenty planks. 26. And their forty bases of silver; two bases under one plank, and two bases under one plank. 27. And for the legs of the Habitation toward the sea [westward] he made six planks. 28. And two planks made he for the corners of the Habitation in the legs. 29. And they were twinned from beneath, and they were together entire at the head of it unto one ring; thus did he for these two, for the two corners. 30. And there were eight planks, and their bases of silver, sixteen bases; two bases under one plank. 31. And he made five bars of shittim wood for the planks of the first side of the Habitation. 32. And five bars for the planks of the other side of the Habitation, and five bars for the planks of the Habitation, for the legs toward the sea. 33. And he made the middle bar to pass through in the middle of the planks, from end to end. 34. And he overlaid the planks with gold, and made their rings of gold, receptacles for the bars, and he overlaid the bars with gold. 35. And he made the veil of blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed, and fine twined linen; with the work of a thinker he made it with cherubs. 36. And he made for it four pillars of shittim wood, and overlaid them with gold, their hooks of gold; and he cast for them four bases of silver. 37. And he made a covering for the door of the Tent, of blue, and crimson, and scarlet double-dyed, and fine twined linen, with the work of the embroiderer. 38. And the five pillars of it, and their hooks; and he overlaid their heads and their fillets with gold; and their five bases of brass.

THE CONTENTS. What these things signify in the internal sense is evident from what has been already unfolded in chapter 26, for they are the same; for which reason the things contained in this chapter are passed by without further explication.

Footnotes

10714-1 Here concerning Heaven and Heavenly Joy. [REVISER]

10724-1 Latin, pelles melium. "Badgers" is the usual rendering of meles. But in Adversaria, Exodus, n. 1297, Swedenborg says that these meles are mares haedorum, "the males of kids," which would agree with what is here said of them. It is difficult to believe that a badger has a higher signification than a ram. [REVISER.]

10740-1 Here concerning Hell and its Fire. [Reviser.]

10749-1 Latin, pelles melium. "Badgers" is the usual rendering of meles. But in Adversaria, Exodus, n. 1297, Swedenborg says that these meles are mares haedorum, "the males of kids," which would agree with what is here said of them. It is difficult to believe that a badger has a higher signification than a ram. [REVISER.]