Capítulo 1 (EL CIELO): El Dios del Cielo es el Señor

2. Lo primero será saber quien es el Dios del cielo, puesto que de ello dependen las demás cosas. En el cielo entero sólo el Señor es reconocido por Dios del cielo y ningún otro. Allí dicen, como Él mismo enseñó:

Que Él es uno con el Padre; que el Padre es en Él y Él en el Padre; que quien ve a Él, ve al Padre y que todo lo Santo procede de Él (Juan 10:30, 38; 14:9-11; 16:13-15).

He hablado varias veces con los ángeles sobre este particular, y siempre han dicho, que en el cielo no se puede partir lo Divino en tres, porque saben y sienten que la Divinidad es única, y que es única en el Señor. También han dicho, que los de la iglesia que llegan del mundo, teniendo la idea de tres Divinidades (Divinas Personas), no pueden ser admitidos en el cielo, puesto que su pensamiento pasa continuamente de uno a otro, y allí no es permitido pensar tres y decir uno; porque cada uno en el cielo habla por el pensamiento, siendo así que allí el hablar es pensar, o sea el pensar es hablar, por lo cual los que en el mundo han dividido la Divinidad en tres, formándose separada idea de cada uno, y no habiéndolos reunido y concentrado en el Señor, no pueden ser recibidos, porque en el cielo tiene lugar una comunicación de todo pensamiento; por lo cual si allí entrase alguien que pensara tres y dijera uno, sería en seguida descubierto y rechazado. Pero hay que saber que todos aquellos que no han separado la verdad del bien, o sea la fe del amor, al ser instruidos en la otra vida, reciben el celestial concepto del Señor de que Él es el Dios del universo. Otra cosa sucede con los que han separado la fe de la vida, es decir, los que no han vivido conforme a los preceptos de la verdadera fe.

6052. 'For every shepherd of the flock is an abomination to the Egyptians' means thereby a separation from perverted factual knowledge which is opposed to the Church's factual knowledge. This is clear from the meaning of 'an abomination to the Egyptians' as a separation of factual knowledge, for things that are an abomination are separated, and the reason why something is an abomination is that it is contrary and so opposed to ideas that have been adopted and to loves that are present (here it is opposed to perverted factual knowledge, meant by 'the Egyptians', since it says 'every shepherd of the flock is an abomination to them'); and from the meaning of 'a shepherd of the flock' as one who leads to good, dealt with in 6044. Factual knowledge that supports good is what perverted factual knowledge is opposed to. And perverted factual knowledge is what destroys the truth of faith and the good of charity, as well as being what turns order upside down, as magical practices in Egypt did. For there are many things in accord with order that were misused by the magicians of Egypt, such as correspondences and representatives, which existed as factual knowledge more highly developed among them than any other people. This knowledge conforms to order even when the evil make use of it; and when they make use of it to control other people and do harm to other people, that knowledge is perverted because it involves magic. As regards the separation of factual knowledge under consideration here, it is effected by a rearranging; when good accompanied by truths comes to be in the middle or inmost part meant by 'Goshen', perverted factual knowledge that is opposed to it is cast out.

[2] Up to now the subject has been the joining of truths to factual knowledge. Regarding this joining together one should go on to recognize that a joining of the internal or spiritual man to the external or natural man cannot be effected at all unless truths are introduced into factual knowledge. For factual knowledge together with the delights that belong to natural affections constitutes the external or natural man, and therefore unless a joining to factual knowledge is effected, none at all is effected. But if a person is to become regenerated his internal and external must exist joined together. If they do not, then all good flowing in from the Lord by way of the internal man into the external or natural man is either perverted, smothered, or cast aside, in which case there is also a closing of the internal. The method by which that joining together is effected is what the present chapter has described, the execution of which method involves the introduction of truths into factual knowledge.