Here we are in the 21st century. We know that the universe is an enormous place. We're just bursting with scientific knowledge. But how are we doing with the even-bigger ideas? Our human societies seem to be erasing them, or ignoring them - maybe we think we're too busy for them.

Here on the New Christian Bible Study site, we'll buck the trend. We want to explore the big ideas that give us a framework for living better lives. Here's a start on a list of big ideas from a New Christian perspective. For each idea, there is a footnote that lists some references in Swedenborg's theological works:

1. God exists. Just one God, who created and sustains the entire universe in all its dimensions, spiritual and physical. ¹

2. God's essence is love itself. It's the force that drives everything. ²

3. God's essence comes into being, that is, it exists, in and through creation. ³

4. There are levels, or degrees, of creation - ranging from spiritual ones that we can't detect with our physical senses or sensors, to the level of the physical universe where most of our awareness is when we're alive here. ⁴

5. The created universe emanates from God, and it's sustained by God, but in an important way it is separate from God. He wants it to be separate, so that freedom can exist. ⁵

6. God operates from love through wisdom - willing good things, and understanding how to bring them about. ⁶

7. The physical level of creation exists to provide human beings with an opportunity to choose in freedom, with rationality, whether or not to acknowledge and cooperate with God. ⁷

8. God provides all people everywhere, regardless of their religion, the freedom to choose to live a life of love to God and to the neighbor. ⁸

9. God loves everyone. He knows that true happiness only comes when we're unselfish; when we're truly motivated by a love of the Lord which is grounded out in a love of the neighbor. He seeks to lead everyone, but will not force us to follow against our will. ⁹

10. God doesn't judge us. He tells us what's good, and what's evil, and flows into our minds to lead us towards good. However, we're free to reject his leading, and instead opt to love ourselves most. Day by day, we create habits of generosity or of selfishness, and live out a life in accordance with those habits. Those habits become the real "us", our ruling love. ¹⁰

11. Our physical bodies die eventually, but the spiritual part of our minds keeps going. It's been operating on a spiritual plane already, but our awareness shifts - so that we become fully aware of spiritual reality. ¹¹

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6008. 'And Joseph will put his hand on your eyes means that the internal celestial will impart life to it. This is clear from the representation of 'Joseph' as the internal celestial, dealt with in 5869, 5877; and from the meaning of 'putting a hand on the eyes' as imparting life. For 'putting a hand on the eyes' is used to mean that the external or bodily senses will be closed and the internal senses opened, thus that a raising up will be effected and life will thereby be imparted. A hand was placed on people's eyes when they were dying because 'death' meant an awakening into life, 3498, 3505, 4618, 4621. For when a person dies he does not really die; he merely lays aside the body that has served him for his use in the world and passes into the next life in a body which serves him for his use there.

5867. Genesis 45

1. And Joseph could not contain himself before all those standing with him; and he cried out, Make every man go out from me. And no one stood with him while Joseph made himself known to his brothers.

2. And he gave forth his voice in weeping; and the Egyptians heard, and the house of Pharaoh heard.

3. And Joseph said to his brothers, I am Joseph. Is my father still alive? And his brothers could not answer him, for they were filled with dismay at his presence.

4. And Joseph said to his brothers, Draw near to me, I beg you. And they drew near. And he said, I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt

5. And now, do not be grieved, and do not have any anger in your eyes, that you sold me here; for God sent me before you for the bestowal of life.

6. For this [is the situation] - there have been two years of famine in the midst of the land, and there are still five years, in which there will be no ploughing and harvest.

7. And God sent me before you to establish for you a remnant on the earth, and for the bestowal of life on you for a great escape.

8. And now, you did not send me here, but God; and He has established me as father to Pharaoh, and as lord for all his house; and I have dominion in all the land of Egypt.

9. Make haste and go up to my father, and say to him, Thus said your son Joseph: God has established me as lord for all Egypt; come down to me, do not delay.

10. And you shall dwell in the land of Goshen, and you shall be near me, you and your sons, and the sons of your sons, and your flocks, and your herds, and everything that belongs to you.

11. And I will sustain you there, for there are still five years of famine, lest perhaps you are wiped out, you and your household, and all that belongs to you.

12. And behold, your eyes see, and the eyes of my brother Benjamin, that with my mouth I am speaking to you.

13. And you must tell my father about all my glory in Egypt, and all that you see; and you must make haste, and cause my father to come down here.

14. And he fell on the neck ¹ of Benjamin his brother, and wept; and Benjamin wept on his neck. ¹

15. And he kissed all his brothers, and wept on them; and after that his brothers talked to him.

16. And a voice was heard in Pharaoh's house, saying, Joseph's brothers have come. And it was good in Pharaoh's eyes, and in the eyes of his servants.

17. And Pharaoh said to Joseph, Say to your brothers, Do this: Load your animals, and go, get you to the land of Canaan.

18. And take your father and your households, and come to me; and I will give you the good of the land of Egypt, and you will eat the fat of the land.

19. And now carry out this command: Take for yourselves from the land of Egypt carts for your young children and your wives, and bring your father, and come.

20. And do not let your eye be sparing over your household utensils, for the good of all the land of Egypt is yours.

21. And the sons of Israel did so, and Joseph gave them carts, according to Pharaoh's command; ² and he gave them provision for the way.

22. And to them all he gave each one changes of garments; and to Benjamin he gave three hundred pieces of silver and five changes of garments.

23. And to his father he sent as follows: Ten asses carrying some of the good of Egypt, and ten she-asses carrying grain and bread, and food for his father for the way.

24. And he sent his brothers away, and they went; and he said to them, Do not quarrel on the way.

25. And they went up out of Egypt and came to the land of Canaan, to Jacob their father.

26. And they told him, saying, Joseph is still alive, and he has dominion in all the land of Egypt. And his heart failed, for he did not believe them.

27. And they spoke to him all Joseph's words which he had spoken to them; and he saw the carts which Joseph had sent to carry him, and the spirit of Jacob their father revived.

28. And Israel said, Enough, ³ Joseph my son is still alive. I will go and see him before I die.

CONTENTS

The previous chapter dealt with the internal man, which is 'Joseph' - with the initial steps taken by the internal man to become joined to the external natural man, which is 'Jacob's ten sons', through the intermediary, which is 'Benjamin'. The present chapter too deals with the internal man - with the actual joining of it to the external natural man. But since the two are not joined together except through spiritual good from the natural, which is 'Israel', the internal man prepares to link this good to itself first.

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